Danse Macabre of Light and Dark
by hybridspuppy
Summary: The Oracle gave them their fate. She is his mate and will provide him with an heir. But the Princess of Light will drown in the darkness, and the King of Darkness will burn. Time will heal old scars and they will unite against the truest of evils. The Beast will be tamed and the Light will shine on. (Dark!Klaroline. Emotionless Klaus. c.1600. Trigger Warnings and more info inside.)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I know I usually only do one or two stories at a time, but I love this idea and I can't get it out of my head. Klaus is emotionless, mostly, so he won't be treating Caroline very well for a long time. I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written to be honest.**

_The time will come when the wolf will take away the Princess of Light. She will drown in the darkness but the darkness will burn. Time will pass before the thought of healing will come to her once again. When the wolf returns, the light will suffer. True evil will take her form and she will know true pain. But she will learn true love also and that will defeat the evil. The wolf will learn new ways and the light will never be lost again._

**Warnings: Depression, non-con to a point, violence. I'll give more warnings if I need to.**

* * *

The castle had been stormed without warning. The knights at the gate and patrolling the wall were unprepared for a full scale invasion. Word spread through the castle, but it was not enough. The princess ran through the corridors with her guards towards the hidden exit, but found it blocked. The enemy's men came from all directions and the princess found herself with her back against a wall. Her men were slaughtered and she stood alone, facing an enemy prince. "Pretty little bird, nowhere to go," he sang lowly as he held a dagger to her throat.

"Come now, darling, don't glare. It ruins that pretty little face of yours." He pouted with false sympathy and she snapped.

Her hand moved fast, moving the dagger from her throat, then the other came to punch him in the face. He staggered back from shock and she kicked out, her foot finding his sensitive spot between his legs. "You bitch," he seethed, coming at her a moment later with a limp. A hand flew out and grabbed his shoulder, shoving him away. The enemy king had prevented her death by his brother's hands, but she knew that she would die in the end anyway. She would either become a prisoner or a trophy queen. To be a prisoner meant being killed in a public execution or to die from the conditions. To be his trophy queen meant to die within herself.

"Kol, take your men and return home," he ordered coldly with a meaningful look. It appeared to be the latter of her options. He turned then to her. Cold grey eyes met her own burning blue ones and he smirked at her.

"If you fight me, I will punish you in ways you cannot even imagine, sweetheart," he purred, grabbing her arm and pulling her close to his side. He leaned in so his lips brushed the shell of her ear.

"If you're compliant, I may just give you pleasure you cannot begin imagine instead." Bile rose in her throat and she turned her head from him. That only brought a deep laughter from him, short but enough to bounce off the stone walls and echo. It was as if her own home was mocking her. His grip was tight on her arm and she grimaced as he tugged her along to walk beside him.

If he were human, she may have had a chance of escaping him since he hadn't bothered with restraints, but his inhuman strength made it impossible to even turn without his direction. The floors were slick with blood and she relied upon his hold to keep her upright. She kept her eyes forward, unable to bear looking at the men torn apart on either side of her, piled up against the walls in pieces. Servants, most likely, would end up burying them. Any surviving knights would be imprisoned. She felt sick at the thought. She was the Princess of Light. Her world had no place for bloodbaths and slaughter like the realm of darkness these monsters came from. Hopefully, he would be rid of her once the novelty wore off. She would drown in the darkness. The Oracle told her as much. The words of the blind old woman surrounded her and she was lost in them.

_The time will come when the wolf will take away the Princess of Light. She will drown in the darkness but the darkness will burn. Time will pass before the thought of healing will come to her once again. When the wolf returns, the light will suffer. True evil will take her form and she will know true pain. But she will learn true love also and that will defeat the evil. The wolf will learn new ways and the light will never be lost again._

To be honest, the only parts she really focused on was 'drown', 'suffer', 'true evil' and 'true pain'. That had frightened her for the past two years to the point of uncertainty. Waiting for two years for this evil to bring her pain was unbearable, but now she knew it was close… she would rather wait. Especially in the hands of King Niklaus, the ruthless hybrid with no humanity. He was cruel and she despised him with all she was. His hand on her burned like betrayal to her parents; she allowed this monster to take her without fight. She supposed that she was already a disgrace. Her kingdom was in ruins, no doubt, without her knowledge. These monsters had to have ransacked the villages on their way. Such was their nature, to destroy and shed blood. There was nothing human left in them. Stories of their war, bodies torn apart, monsters of the night… they haunted her. Her innocence had been pushed by the stories she heard when she was a child. Growing up, they never ceased to bring a coldness through her body and a sickness to her stomach.

* * *

Klaus watched as she lost herself in thought. The emotions flooded her pale face and he wondered how she could do that. How could she allow herself such vulnerability? To show every emotion she felt on her face rather than hiding behind a mask. He'd seen the fire in her eyes and the downturned lips when she was angry, just before she'd attacked Kol. He watched her flinch, corners of her eyes narrowing and bottom lip bitten to hold back a whimper, when he grabbed her. He watched the sadness overcome her, the shocked but somewhat blank expression passing over her face. Her lips had parted a little and her eyes filling with tears. He wondered what she thought to bring on such brokenness. She was indeed a pretty little bird, as Kol said, but there was much more than that. Something about her stirred something within Klaus and it honestly frightened him. He pushed her towards the carriage and Elijah helped her inside before turning to him.

"You remember what the Oracle said, Niklaus. Do not do anything stupid," he said quietly before moving to his own carriage. Klaus rolled his eyes and hopped in, slamming the door shut. The princess flinched and he turned at the movement. "Tell me your name," he ordered, his voice low and quiet but loud in the silence of the carriage. She turned to him with a small frown on her face and he sighed. "Your parents have hidden you and your brother well. Whilst we found Matthew, it has been most difficult to locate any existence of you. Happening upon you was merely chance, an opportunity we could not pass." She looked away then, out of the window to the forest surrounding the castle. They were sparing her the image of her villagers watching her defeat, if there were even any left.

"Caroline," she told him with a soft voice, a tone so quiet and lost that he almost felt pity. He tilted his head and watched her. "Do you understand what is to happen to you?" He asked, waiting but receiving no reply. "You are to become my wife in a week's time. You are required to fulfil your duties as queen and be by side. You will be compliant, submissive, and polite."

She turned to him then. "Or else?" She prompted, glaring at him. He admired that fire burning within her. "Or else I shall punish you accordingly," he answered with a smirk. "You are also to fulfil your duties as my wife and provide me with an heir in due time." She tensed, her face falling in horror. "An heir? You are a vampire! You cannot have one, nor do you have use for one. An heir is to carry on the legacy of your family when you pass. You shall not pass as you're a vampire," she exploded, breathing erratically.

"I am the Original Hybrid, sweetheart. That means I am part werewolf as well as a vampire. That allows me to produce heirs. As for the _purpose_ of my heir, it is a means by which I can control more land. You and our child will only answer to me, which means that I will be able to hold more power through the extension of our union. Understood?" She swallowed thickly but nodded.

"I understand. You want to use the only child I will ever have because you're a tyrant," she spat at him. Lunging forward, he grasped her chin in his hand tightly and made her meet his eyes.

"You will do what is expected of you and you will not defy me. If you do anything to abhor the chance of producing an heir, I will torture you until the witches find a way to fix it and then I shall take you until you are with child. Is _that _understood?" A moment later, she spat in his face and he moved away from her in disgust. Releasing her chin, he wiped his face and glared at her with glowing yellow eyes. Moving too fast for her to see, he struck her across the face. Her body fell to the side and he took advantage of it, flashing to hover over her as she lay beneath him.

"Do not think for one moment that I will not harm you," he hissed, gripping her wrists in one hand and holding her throat with the other. Squeezing slightly, he watched her eyes widen with fear. "I am a cruel man and I embrace that. Though I need your body, I do not need your heart. You can hate me with all that you are, but I will take you and you will give me an heir. There is nothing else that I need from you. Though, I do desire to break your will. A flame as bright as yours casts the darkest of shadows and I do so desire to see you completely at my mercy. When the times comes, I will take you and it will hurt you. I won't stop until you're with child. I may heal you, if you're good, but I will not stop. I respect your ways, and I give you my word I will not lay with you until we have sanctified our union. However, there are more ways than that to bring pleasure to a woman, even against their morals. Do not expect me to hold back if you deserve a punishment of the sort."

He flew off her a moment later, reclining as if he hadn't moved an inch and hadn't threatened her. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she felt sick up to her throat, the burning just longing to have her crying. She would not give him the satisfaction. She ignored him the rest of the way, not that it bothered him. He kept watching her, feeling nothing at the hand mark on her cheek. It is her branding, his mark upon her already. She was his and she will learn that.

* * *

The castle was shrouded in darkness as the carriage pulled up before it. Caroline's eyelids were drooping, though she refused to sleep in his presence. The monster opposite knew no boundaries and she feared what he would do with her alone and vulnerable in sleep. The stories of vampires entering dreams might be true, then even in sleep she wouldn't be able to escape him. Klaus left the carriage and stood in the door, holding out his hand to her. Her eyes twitched suspiciously, but that only brought pain to her red cheek. He took note of her hesitation and sighed.

"If you do not come out willingly, I shall have to drag you by the hair to the dungeons where you shall spend your first night instead of escorting you to your new chambers," he told her with an icy tone. She moved towards the door and reluctantly took his hand. "Must you always threaten me?" she seethed as she finally found solid ground. He pinned her against the wall of the carriage, hands on either side of her head. "Must you always resist me?" He returned, leaning in closely.

"There will come a time when you will not resist me, Caroline. There are things that I can do to you, sweetheart, that would bring a blush to even the devil's cheeks. And there will come a time when you are begging for me to do them to you." She tensed as his nose brushed hers.

"You said you wouldn't touch me until the night of our wedding," she whispered, voice cracking. "I said I wouldn't bed you, not that I wouldn't tempt you or make you writhe beneath me in any other way." She shuddered in disgust and flinched when he let out a deep chuckle, smirking at her.

"Niklaus!" Someone shouted from the door of the castle. "Coming, Elijah," he returned as he pushed away from her. "Come now, love. I'll show you to your chambers." She stared at his offered arm, holding back a wretch as she took it. There was no word she knew, that anyone knew, that could describe her feelings towards him. He was the first being she ever desired to kill, to torture slowly and rip out the heart of. His hand came over her own on his arm and tightened in warning. She flinched, but stayed silent and kept up with him as he led her to her chambers.

"This will be where you stay. Should you wish to leave your chambers, you must be accompanied with at least one guard. If you are to leave the premises of the castle and visit the gardens, there must be at least two guards with you. Do you understand?" She nodded and he finally released her. "Your personal servants will arrive shortly. Pick a dress from the ones provided. You will be joining my family and I for dinner. There will be other humans there, but they are unaware of what we are. They are foreign enough to these lands to have missed the stories of the monsters. I'd appreciate your silence tonight of the matter." She nodded once. "Or I'll be punished?" She quipped coldly, making him smirk cruelly as he leaned in.

"Or I will chain you to a wall in a private cell in the dungeons, strip you down, and whip your body until you're begging for my mercy." Shuddering, she simply threw open the door behind her and rushed in to the room as he laughed darkly. His hand caught her wrist and she span around, gasping at the pain from his sudden grip. He shoved his wrist in to her mouth and held her face in place with his hand around the back of her neck. Warm, sour blood filled her mouth and she screamed in to his wrist. Her hands were trapped between their bodies so she couldn't push him away. Her only choice was to swallow his blood. Once she had, he pulled away from her and stroked her healing cheek.

"Can't have the guests suspecting we aren't in pre-marital bliss, can we, love?" He offered before turning and walking in to his chambers across the hall from her. She slammed the door shut behind her and leaned against it as tears fell from her eyes. He was going to kill her, or she was going to kill herself. That was a certainty. On shaky legs, she managed to walk across the room to the archway where another room held more dresses than she could count. Most were too… alluring for a dinner with guests and she could only assume they were for Klaus' own enjoyment. They all appeared to be inappropriate until she was half way in to the room and they became more so, though they seemed to allow too much skin to show for her liking. He hands stopped upon a beautiful green gown and she smiled for the first time. It was most beautiful. Pulling it from the hooks it had been placed on, she walked back to the bed and froze.

A young woman stood with a nervous disposition in the middle of the room with a tub of hot water. "Your highness. Your bath is prepared," she murmured quietly. "Thank you," she responded, the girl's head snapping up in confusion. "What is your name?" The girl stammered a moment and Caroline felt herself deflate. Clearly, she had never been treated as a human before. "Anna, your highness," she answered quietly. "Anna, please call me Caroline."

Anna nodded with a small smile and helped her rid herself of her gown and prepare for her bath. The water was hot, but it did not burn her, only made her skin a lively pink. Anna explained that she was a vampire that had been with the Mikaelsons under the charge of Elijah. She told her about the siblings individually. Kol, the insane youngest brother. He loved bloodbaths and mayhem and women. He adored being adored and despised rules and being reprimanded. Rebekah, the little sister and youngest of them all. Always falling in love and always having her heart broken. Merciless to everyone but her lovers. Despises competition for centre of attention and any threat to her place as the most loved female amongst her brothers – especially Klaus. Elijah the eldest. In charge as the eldest and almost always butting heads with Klaus. Cam and stoic unless there is a threat to the kingdom or his siblings.

"I believe he is the most terrifying of them all," Anna admitted, "You always know what the others are about to do. They have their telling signs, you see. Klaus' eyes twitch at the corners and flash gold when he's angry. That is if he is holding back, otherwise he will make it known that he is displeased. Rebekah's mouth turns down at almost everything negative and her eyes grow wider just the slightest when she is about to strike. Kol, he is the hardest of the three to read. He smirks as if amused, but there's a dark flash over his eyes. Have you seen a vampire's face, Caroline?" Caroline shook her head, and a moment later Anna stopped washing through her hair and came to face her. Her pretty face turned monstrous and Caroline froze for a moment in shock. When Anna blinked, she looked human again. "Kol's eyes, the veins flutter down briefly. It is difficult to see, but if you know that you are looking for it, you might be able to spot it." Anna returned behind her and continued with her hair.

"Elijah does not even flinch. He makes no move, then suddenly there will be a heart in his hand and body on the floor. I have found no sign. He is a master of disguising his emotions, which I feel is most terrifying of all. But if you are in his good graces, he will be lenient and kind towards you. I do not fear you and Elijah coming to blows. The others maybe. If you are polite and interesting, Elijah may take a fancy to you and even protect you from…" she trailed off and Caroline sighed. "He may try to protect me from Klaus?" She finished, earning a sad hum of agreement in response.

Anna helped her into her dress after drying, then she sat patiently with her eyes closed with the relaxing feeling of Anna's nimble fingers at work on her long hair. About an hour later, she was ready to see herself in the mirror. A gasp escaped her as she caught her reflection. It was far different from her free floating yellow gown she wore at home.

Her breasts, for a start, definitely caught attention with the low rounded corset pressing them into rounded mounds. Her shoulders were bare, the sleeves beginning partially down her arms. The deep mint green was beautiful, contrasted with white embroidering on the skirt and middle section of corset with the block colour from the sleeves, bunched overskirt, and sides of the corset. The pattern was intricate, like chandelier-like flowers within ivy diamond. It was beautiful, if a tad too daring for her usual taste. Her hair was even more beautiful. Her plain curls were tighter, mostly falling over her back to her hips with a few reaching the top of her corset. Parted in the middle, the top was pinned loosely at the front to curl slightly and cover her ears. Tight curls bunched up at the top of her head and fell halfway down the back.

A loud knock on the door came and Anna answered it swiftly, allowing Klaus in to her chambers. Caroline caught his smirk in the reflection and sighed to herself. He did look handsome, for a monster. It seemed fitting he should wear red the colour of blood with black. His chemise, boots, and gloves were black with his doublet, trousers and coat a deep crimson. They didn't match, of course they didn't. Walking closer, she picked up her white silken gloves and slipped them on as she approached him.

"Do remember to behave," he purred, tilting his head at her. "I will. I have you threatening me every time I so much as _breathe _in a way you find wrong," she hissed. Moving at his inhuman pace, he pinned her against the wall by her throat.

"Do not test my patience, Caroline. I have very little of it anyway and I despise these ridiculous dinners Elijah forces me into. If you go against me and make a fool out of me, I will do as promised and whip you until you bleed." He pushed away from her and she gasped, coughing as she tried to breathe.

"Collect yourself and stand," he hissed, pushing her straight. "Put these on her." He thrust two boxes to Anna and moved to lean against the door frame. Caroline sat down on the cushioned seat in front of the mirror and turned her back on Anna. The reflection showed Anna placing a beautiful silver and emerald chain necklace on her collarbone, clasping it under her hair, before setting a matching small crown in her hair. Standing again with the jewellery secure, she faced Klaus. A true trophy in his eyes. He looked her up and down approvingly as she approached him, eyes lingering on her face and chest.

"Come on, love," he purred, fingers brushing her bared neck where the bruises were forming from his hands. Nodding, she allowed him to bring a few curls forward to cover them then took his arm. She would be compliant, submissive, and polite.

* * *

**AN: What do you think? I'm working on the next chapter and it is going to get quite a lot darker in the next few chapters before it gets any better for them.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: WARNING: Bit of force in the beginning. Not full-on non-con but it's sexual. Will be a section in italics if you wish to skip. Isn't mentioned too much later on, but is brought in to conversation (Elijah and Klaus).**

* * *

The table sat in the centre of a large stone room with blood red curtains draped around the windows. There were at least twenty seats at the long table, with all but two filled; the one at the head and the one beside it. Klaus helped Caroline in to her seat before sitting down himself and introducing everyone. Opposite her sat Rebekah, beside her Kol. On Caroline's left sat Elijah, then opposite them sat Rebekah and Kol. Whilst Elijah greeted her with a nod, Rebekah scowled and Kol smirked as he looked at her with dark eyes. Of course, Klaus growled something at him just out of her hearing range that made him look away again. At the end of the table were the humans, the Lockwood lords, Fell family, and a few others she could not find herself caring at all for. There were fifteen people along the table but none she could strike a conversation with.

The feeling of eyes on her did nothing to ease her as she pushed her food around her plate. Not only was Klaus staring at her possessively and in warning, but young Lord Lockwood was staring at her lustfully down the table and simply smirked when she caught him. Grimacing, she looked back down to her plate. Rebekah's shrill voice was loud and demanded attention, Kol's constant remarks were infuriating though not directed to her. She was going mad.

"Are you not well, Caroline?" Elijah whispered to her, startling her. She looked up and found genuine concern in his eyes. "I shall be fine," she smiled weakly, turning away again. He opened his mouth to speak further, but Rebekah rudely brought him into conversation instead.

The food was taken away and they all moved to a large lounge where Caroline sat in the corner and waited for it all to end. From the corner of her eye, she spotted a flash of movement and felt herself pale. "Elena?" She whispered, looking around and making sure she wasn't being watched.

Silent and swift, she left the room unnoticed and looked down the halls for Elena. There was no way she had escaped the long hall in such a short time unless she was a… vampire! Spinning around, she planned to return to the uncomfortable gathering but smacked straight in to a chest.

"I'm sorry, Klaus, I thought-" Stopping herself, she looked up in to the brown, hooded eyes of Tyler Lockwood. "Release me now," she demanded, pushing against his arms as he held her small waist in his meaty hands. "Do not worry. Your husband to be is currently preoccupied. I am sure he would not mind me holding you and more, _Caroline,_" he purred at her, raising his eyebrows. Bringing her knee up, she crushed his manhood and shoved him to the floor.

"Do. No. Touch. Me," she seethed as she began to shake. There was no hope for her. Not only was Klaus going to claim her and use her, but every man she has ever met only wanted her body. Apparently that would not change even with her death sentence of her upcoming nuptials. She looked up from Tyler and paled when she saw Klaus' eyes flash golden. He stormed over, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her out of sight. Tossing her in to a room down the hall, he locked the door behind them and then faced her once more.

* * *

_The gold was still glowing in his furious eyes, but it wasn't just anger there. It was possession, his wolf side – which had yet to be explained to her – claiming her against the hands upon her. "Turn around and put your hands on the desk," he ordered with a tight voice. Shaking, she did so slowly and closed her eyes. His hands ran up her legs, pushing the material of her skirts out of the way._

_"Please, don't," she begged, barely above a whisper. His body pressed against hers as he leaned over her to whisper in her ear. "I gave you my word I would not take you until we are married, but I also gave you my word that there were other ways to pleasure you. I will not tolerate another man touching you. You. Are. Mine."_

_He moved off her as she let out a shaking breath, pushing the skirts all the way up until they pooled around her waist. Tears fell and she was lucky her skirts hid her face from him at such an angle. His fingers rubbed her and she tensed, legs shaking with fear but also unwanted pleasure. What she cried for the most was that she couldn't stop enjoying it._

_His fingers found a spot that she didn't know existed and shocks ran through her body. His fingers moved inside her and she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. He was skilled and that infuriated her. A small whimper escaped her before she could stop herself as her body was crushed in a wave of a pleasure she'd never experienced before. There was a wetness between her legs and an emptiness inside her when Klaus stepped back. She could hear his humming as he licked his fingers, her eyes catching the reflection of his actions in the window._

_"Let this be a lesson for you, sweetheart. You're mine, and I will make it known. If there is another time in which you find yourself touched by another man, I will claim you in front of him. Do you understand?" He forcefully pulled her skirts down and she nodded. "Good girl." He turned, striding out of the room and slamming the door shut behind him._

_Sinking to the floor, Caroline lowered her head to her hands and sobbed until Anna found her. The kind vampire picked Caroline up, helping her to stand on her numb feet. "Come, Caroline. You need rest," she whispered, holding the weak blonde that clung onto her. "I hate him so much," she whispered brokenly. "He's a monster." Anna did not reply._

* * *

Klaus sat his private study, feet up on his desk as he threw his head back with long gulps of scotch straight from the bottle. The door flew open and Elijah pinned him to the wall in a blur.

"Do you not find keeping this girl against her will enough punishment? Your attitude towards her is disgusting enough, Niklaus. There is no need to violate her for something out of her own control. You know as well as I do that Tyler Lockwood is a boy without an ounce of intelligence, but Caroline managed well enough to fend him off. Then you… You disgust me!" Klaus smiled grimly at his brother, taking a swig of alcohol before talking. Elijah grimaced at the stench of his breath from the drink.

"I do believe her reaction was one of pleasure, brother. It was hardly a violation when she came." A lewd smirk passed over Klaus' lips and Elijah punched his face. "Do you have any idea what you have done to her? Her body may have reacted to your decades and centuries worth of experience, but that does _not_ mean she wants you near her. Do you feel nothing for her? Truly? Your own mate?" Elijah demanded from the snarling man that simply barked out a single dark laugh.

"She is nothing to me, Elijah, but a means to an end," he slurred, tilting his head. "She is easy to break, with her _emotions_ and her _humanity._ You thought that finding her would bring back my emotions, but looking at her makes me feel nothing. Hurting her makes me feel nothing. _She_ makes me feel nothing. Nor will my heir. They have their purposes, just like the rest of you fools." He found himself flying across the room, too drunk to stop himself smashing in to the chest against the far wall.

"Why do you care so much for this _human?_" Klaus spat at him, standing up to find Elijah already in front of him. "Katerina would be jealousy, would she not?" Elijah's fist connected with Klaus' face and the hybrid fell again onto the floor.

"As you said; she is human. You are a hybrid of six hundred years. There is no chance of her surviving your temper should there be any chance you lose yourself with her as you do with me or our siblings. Do you want your child to grow with _this-_" He waved a hand, gesturing at Klaus in pure disgust. "You are no better than _Mikael_. If you cannot give respite to the woman that is to carry your child, how are we to interpret your attitude towards your own child? You say you will not harm them if they obey and submit to you, but your child won't understand. They won't understand and you may hit them. It may start as an accident but it may grow to be your choice. Could you stand to look the child that is a part of you in the eye and see nothing but fear and hurt? An innocent child, one that you, as the father, should do nothing but protect… And the mother, your mate, could you stand to look Caroline in the eye as you beat her? As you beat your child?

Klaus continued to lie on the floor, stoically staring up at him as if the words had no effect. Elijah slumped and shook his head. "I was wrong. You are not like Mikael," he breathed. "You are _worse_." Klaus blinked and Elijah was gone. Niklaus Mikaelson was _not_ worse than Mikael. He would _never_ lay his hand on his child no matter what. He would _never_ beat Caroline like Elijah expected. His methods may be harsh, but never would he push her like that… intentionally.

* * *

Placing a pin in Caroline's golden locks, Anna stepped back and smiled at her work. Her intricate braiding and twisted gathered some of Caroline's hair atop her head, with the bottom layers draping freely over her back. The door came open with a knock and Caroline turned around, eyes taking on a solemn look. All enjoyment of the morning disappeared at the sight of her fiancé. "We need to discuss a few things, love," he deadpanned. Anna dismissed herself after giving Caroline a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. Caroline rose to face him, hands locked together in front of her as she tried to keep herself calm.

"Do not be afraid of me, sweet Caroline," he said rather softly as he walked to her with calm, even steps. "I wish to discuss the terms of our union in further detail, and the days leading up to it." She nodded once and they moved to the chaise in the corner of the room, sitting with as much distance as possible between them. He was staring at her as she looked down at her lap.

"Tomorrow you will spend the day with my sister. The dress has already been designed and you will have a fitting and alterations will be made. Once that is done, she will walk you through the ceremony and such. The day after Elijah will begin with your lessons. They will begin with responsibilities as queen, then move on to further educating yourself. After you have finished your first lesson with Elijah, Kol will take you to see the witches. They shall assess your health and begin with the preparations for your body to conceive."

He paused, watching as she swallowed. "I will stick to our vows, Caroline." Her eyes flickered over to him, but barely lingered. "I will not bed another woman. I will provide for you and our child." She nodded once, finally speaking. "Why me?" A pause stretched between them for far too long until he answered. "You are my mate, Caroline. Should I lose you, there will nothing holding me back. I may not like that you are my mate as I believe love is a weakness, but I need you alive and with me. Once you have given birth and the child is weaned from you, you shall be turned into a vampire to preserve my sanity and humanity. That is why. If you die, the wolf in me will take over and destroy everything." Her head snapped up and her eyes filled with horror. "Calm yourself, sweetheart. As long as you live and stay by my side, I will keep my sanity and all will be well for the world."

That was a lot to take in. One day, she's a simple princess hidden away after her parents were killed and the next she's stolen away by her mate to become king. "But I am human. How am I a mate to anyone, especially someone centuries old," she muttered more so to herself than to him. "It is the work of witches. Nothing they do makes much sense. Speaking of your… mortality, there are traditions of wolves that I must teach you, as well as some vampire ones. Regarding our consummation of marriage, I warn you now, I will bite you." She glared at him, but he could see the fear foremost. "It is how wolves claim their mates. I will heal you at the same time with my blood. That will secure a blood bond between us which will aid in the conception of our child. Your first time will hurt, especially as I am a wolf. There is a… roughness to the claiming. I will hold back at first, but it will be impossible for me to have you just once. I say this not to frighten you but inform you of what is to come so you are prepared. My sister will explain more from a woman's experience. Now, I leave you to yourself. Do feel free to roam the castle, but at the very least take Anna with you." He rose then, disappearing and leaving the door open for her.

Slowly, it came crushing down on her. She was marrying a wolf, the wolf that would destroy her. She was going to have child with him. He was going to bite her and hurt her. Would he heal her only if he bit her or other times as well? Looking up at the door, she froze. Passing by her door was the one she was searching for. "Elena," she whispered with no response. Diving up, she ran to the door but she was gone already. She was seeing ghosts where they should not be. She knew she was.

* * *

Elijah watched the queen-to-be as she let some of the servants' children braid her hair with Anna's help. They plucked wild flowers from the edge of the trees and ran back to put them in her hair. A couple of the older girls were making a crown of flowers for her, too. It was the first time since her arrival that Elijah had seen a genuine smile on her face. A familiar presence came up behind him and he sighed. "Niklaus will destroy her," he breathed as Kol came to his side. "And in return, she shall destroy him. Such is the way of mates." Elijah glanced at him curiously and the younger brother shrugged his shoulders. "Just because Niklaus is ignorant to other species, does not mean that I am. He believes he can control her, but by suppressing who she is and ruining her, he is hurting himself also."

Rebekah appeared on his other side and sighed heavily. "I fear that I will like her and Nik will ruin her. We talked somewhat this morning when we ran into one another and she was ever so nice. Tomorrow I must spend the entire day with her and I refuse to be cruel. I do not wish to bring her more pain. I do so wish she had come much sooner, when Nik was… Nik. Then he would never have turned so dark and cruel." Elijah nodded solemnly as Kol turned and left. He had grown distant from them. When they turned he lost his magic and went on a rampage. When he returned, he found his siblings making a pact without him. He felt he'd lost them, too. Always the three of them, with him trailing behind or running off. He couldn't stand being with them anyway. Rebekah lost her innocence, Elijah became stoic, and Klaus lost all he was to the darkness.

* * *

The shadows protected him as he watched her with the children. She was a natural mother and a beautiful one at that. Her smile was astonishing, so bright and full of life that he wanted to capture the moment forever. He flashed up to his room and threw open the window to continue listening to her laughter. The charcoal in his hand moved effortlessly across the parchments as he captured her image over and over. Pages and pages filled the desk as the day wore on and he continued long after she had left the garden to retire to her rooms.

She was dancing, smiling, laughing, and playing. She wore a crown of flowers with her hair loose when the plait fell out, or she had the plait filled with flowers down her back. Her skirts were clean in some and dirty in others. Her smile was teasing, wide, small, wild, mischievous, playful, or simply dazzling. This was what his mate should look like, full of life and colour even in black and white. Not shrunken and wilted, shrouded in his darkness. It seemed that she would only be happy without his presence. Whether that was permanent or temporary was the question.

He shot up from the seat suddenly and flashed to her room. It was late, with the high moon casting its white light over her form. She was asleep, her closed eyes fluttering and her body curled around a pillow. The warmth he felt worried him, but he couldn't find it in him to ignore it.

* * *

**AN: If you think I need more warnings etc, leave me a review or message me. It's my first time with a dark theme, so I could use any help I can get. I hope it was good regardless. Also, I would appreciate a review or two on the structure. Is it easy to read in little paragraphs like this or does it need more spacing?  
**

******If you haven't already, feel free to check out my other stories. There's the old ones and a new one, Giving In (AU from 4x09) and a sort-of new one New Images (AH celebrities).**


	3. Chapter 3

Rebekah had tried to dislike her from the moment she came from her room but the broken expression ate at her. "Caroline?" She called, startling the poor thing. She was a frightened bird trapped in a cage with no door. "Come." Caroline turned to Anna who gave her a sympathetic smile before leaving. Caroline moved to her side and they walked down the halls towards the ballroom. "I apologise for my brother's behaviour and attitude," Rebekah offered to break the silence. She'd noticed over the past couple of days that Caroline was shrinking into herself, physically and mentally. She was losing weight and barely talked. When she did, it was to Anna when they were alone or she thought no one was listening. Caroline turned to her, eyes tired but curious. Rebekah kept her head high and looked ahead.

"He was kind once. The kindest of all my brothers. I adored him. He was sweet and vulnerable. Our father was cruel to him and… it is not an excuse but I hope you understand more of why my brother is how he is. Our life was not the best. Our father beat Nik for no reason. It was only when we were created did we realise it was because he was a bastard. Mikeal hunted us for centuries to kill us for being abominations. It ruined him, realising the man he tried to please all the time hated him and wanted to kill him and that our mother stood by. She cursed him to lose his wolf side and that was painful for him. We made enemies and Nik became Klaus. It wasn't until he broke the curse a hundred years ago that he began to come back to us. The changes are small. An affectionate touch here and there or a fond tone when he is pleased."

She paused before the doors to the ballroom and turned to Caroline who was staring at her curiously. "Nik is afraid of being weak. Should he fall in love with you, he would have a weakness far greater than simply having a mate. He calls your future child an heir as a way of distancing himself from it all. He believes he can push away all emotion, but he cannot. Give him time. He will not be cruel all the time." Before Caroline could reply, she pushed open the doors and strode into the room.

For three hours, Caroline stood and had silent women making alterations to the most beautiful wedding gown she had ever seen. Rebekah stopped her chattering and sat up in the chaise she was lounging in, looking towards the door a moment before returning her gaze to Caroline. "Would you mind if Elijah stepped in? He has something to ask of us," Rebekah asked her. Caroline felt she would never grow used to their enhanced senses. They could converse without her hearing anything. "No, he may come in. As long as Klaus does not," Caroline answered, motioning to her dress. "I sent Nik out of the castle," Rebekah smiled to her proudly as Elijah walked in to the room. "I knew he would try to see you so I sent him out to run my errands. I take great pleasure in knowing he must pay for our dresses – I took the liberty of buying you some that are more appropriate. Nik has no taste." Caroline offered her a small smile before turning to find Elijah staring at her in wonderment.

"You look…" He trailed off for a moment and she looked down at herself with a blush. "Beautiful, Caroline. You look beautiful." She thanked him quietly and the fitters dismissed themselves. "I do hate to be a bother, but unexpected business requires me to be away tomorrow. I was wondering if I could steal you away for the remainder of today and you can continue on with Rebekah in my absence tomorrow." Caroline turned to check with Rebekah who nodded. "I shall meet you in the library once I am ready," Caroline answered as she turned back to Elijah. He nodded to her and left her to change.

* * *

The library was grand and beautiful in every way. The walls were shelves, over filled with books and papers bound with everything from string to leather to human skin – something even Rebekah shuddered at. The light from the three giant windows met in the centre where Elijah sat at the large oak desk with books and papers strewn across the top. She tilted her head and smiled amused, seeing the usually stoic man frowning and muttering at paper. Both his hands ran through his hair and she giggled quietly when she saw he'd messed up his beautiful brown locks. His head snapped up and he frowned at her confused. "Apologies, Elijah," she offered once she'd calmed. "It's just…" She trailed off as she walked closer. Once she was stood beside him, she began fixing his stuck up hair. "Oh, I see," he muttered embarrassed."

"No need for apologies, Caroline. I should have heard you. I fear the business I mentioned earlier is worse than I thought and I became engrossed in trying to fix it." She sighed and walked towards him, glancing at the papers quickly. "Anything you wish to talk about?" She offered as she sat down beside him. He dropped in to the seat elegantly with a loud huff. "Niklaus and I, a long time ago, made a bad decision. A wolf challenged him with a fight to the death. Niklaus won, of course, but the story has warped over time in the pack. They are working with witches to take us down and I fear they may know of you. I only tell you this to prepare you, not make you afraid."

Shooting up from her seat, the chair falling back with a thud. "Please tell me you brought my belongings," she exclaimed, spinning around slightly, unsure of where to go. "In the room beside your own," he began, but she didn't let him finish as she ran off. Kol dove out of the way, having ran up to see what the commotion was about. "Did you frighten her?" Kol asked as the men jogged after her. "I do not believe so," Elijah offered confused. She was fast for a human, too… especially in such a large dress.

The room beside hers was not just a room. It was storage, half the size of the ballroom but still packed with everything from her own castle that was of importance. The brothers stayed out of her way as she began pushing piled chairs from in front of a dresser, muttering about the importance of good storage and incompetent men's incapability to stack things correctly. "HA!" She shouted into the empty room, pulling out a pocket watch from the smaller drawer. "Werewolves, did you say, Elijah?" She mumbled, turning to him. "Catch." She tossed the pocket watch to him and began rifling through the larger drawers. Elijah inspected the pocket watch curiously, ignoring Kol as he whispered, "she's gone mad."

"Here!" They looked away from the watch to find her brandishing a sword. "It is specific to the species you wish to eradicate. My father had it spelled to kill wolves with even the smallest of cuts. He could decapitate or touch a wolf and they would die. Of course, the decapitation would be quicker, but the wolf dies anyway, doesn't it?" She put it back in the sheath and held it out to Kol as Elijah gave her a hand in clambering over the chairs she'd tossed everywhere.

"What will a watch do to help us?" Kol asked her confused. She huffed, grabbing it from him and stalking back towards the study with the brothers following. Once they were sat around the table again, she began her tale. "Matthew and I… we were not the only children our parents had. Victoria, she was between us. Wolves attacked the castle. I was six, I was too young to understand what was happening. Victoria, she was only nine, but she threw herself at a wolf to protect me. It tore her apart. Matt… Matt grabbed me and ran. We hid in a tree all night until our father found. We could see Vic's body from where we were. My father had witches spell the watch, Victoria's watch, to find any unnatural creature by species or name." She paused a moment before turning to Elijah. "Do you have a name? Full or surname, it does not matter."

Elijah nodded, writing the name on paper as instructed. She closed the paper in the watch and brought it to her lips. "Invenies lupus," she whispered. Pulling it away, the watch popped open and a compass revealed itself. "Now it will find the person wish. It will not confuse itself with Klaus' presence, either, if you simply ask for it to find wolves. He is a hybrid. It is specific. It follows Latin instruction. If you wish to find a wolf, tell it to. If you wish for a witch, tell it to find you one. It will always point to the nearest of the species if you look for that. Look for a person, it will lead you there."

Elijah and Kol shared a look before nodding. "Thank you for gifting us with this, Caroline. It will help us greatly." She offered him a small smile and handed it over to Kol. He bowed his head before disappearing with the watch and sword. "Now, I believe you came for your studies," Elijah sighed slightly, relieved to find some sort of solution to the previous problem. "I already know how to be Queen, Elijah. I was taught that a long time ago. Be attentive, polite, and do as told. I do not need to learn it all again, but I do wish to learn how a court of vampires works." He brought a book in front of them and began teaching her.

The vampire court worked as any other court, but ultimately Klaus made the decisions. He ruled over the wolves and the vampires as alpha and king. Elijah explained that she would be required to sit in on the first court hearing after their wedding, only two days after. The court hearing heard cases involving both humans and the supernatural. Anything from land disputes to men deflowering another man's betrothed or murder to petty theft. Elijah told her she would replace Rebekah as the main female influence but would have Rebekah beside her to help.

They spent the next hour going over the court systems and her roles as Klaus' Queen, rather than a regular queen. "As his wife, your... role is rather simple. You give him the heir he desires and then you spend eternity by his side." She shuddered a little and he looked over to her. "I apologise for your situation, dear heart, but that is how you have been fated." She scoffed quietly and turned from him.

"I despise that word. Fate. What is it? God's word? A little man in the clouds that I am to pray to. Or is it a witch's word? The mad old woman in the shadows that dances in the woods and casts enchantments... Fate is not real. Fate is a lie. Destiny is wrong. Nature intended me to be your brother's mate. I was born at the appropriate time to the appropriate people in the appropriate way with the appropriate traits. It is more coincidence than fate. If fate is real, it should be as pleasant as it sounds. It should not damn me to the life that I have been told I will have."

Taken aback, Elijah's jaw dropped but he had no reply for her. She turned then to face him with a sigh. "I apologise. I have held resentment for the Oracle since the day she gave me that damning prophecy. I fear it finally exploded within me and you were the unfortunate victim of that." He placed his hand over hers, leaning in closer. "You are welcome to unload any emotion you feel upon me, Caroline, if that means you are well and untroubled. I give you my word I will not judge you." A small smile crept up on her face and she tilted her head forward. "I fear you will regret that offer, Elijah, when I come to you and spew out all my womanly emotions towards you."

He chuckled quietly and squeezed her hand as she giggled. They were interrupted by a clearing throat and they span around towards the door. Elijah's hand left hers and she sat back as they found Klaus leaning against the doorway with a tight jaw and cold eyes. "I do so _hate_ to be a bother and _interrupt_," he rolled out with cold sarcasm, "but the matters of tomorrow need to be dealt with today, brother." Elijah nodded, seemingly understanding the vague riddle.

Turning to Caroline, unafraid of his brother, Elijah picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. "We shall see each other soon, Caroline," he smiled before rising with her. Nodding with a small curtsey, she watched Elijah turn and leave the room. Once he was out of sight, she waited for Klaus to leave. He straightened, but did not move from the doorway as she collected the book Elijah had given her earlier.

"I do hope you do not fall in love with Elijah, Caroline," Klaus' voice broke through the silence like a blade through flesh. Turning to confront him, she jumped when she found him inches from her. "You may just find something terrible has befallen him and he disappears." Narrowing her eyes, she studied his stoic face and stormy eyes. "What you witnessed was an act of kindness," she snarled back at him, "not an act of budding romance." She brushed past him, graceful on her feet as she began to leave.

A gasp escaped her when she found herself with her back against the closed door. The clattering of the book echoed as he ground his hips against hers to keep her put, one hand rough at her waist and the other gentle at her throat. He wanted to hurt her, oh did he want to, but he could not find it in him to do so. He damned the mate bond for it's effect and he damned her for her stubborn rudeness.

"Be careful, Caroline. You do not wish to anger me more than you already have." His warning was clear, but she still retaliated. "Do not fear for me falling in love with your brother," she murmured icily, gathering her strength again. "I find it hard to imagine me falling in love with anyone bearing the name Mikaelson." He shoved at her as he pushed away from her, giving her a moment of respite before swooping in again. His face brushed hers, lips at her ear. "You will be punished accordingly, Caroline, I promise you that. I also promise that one day you will love me and I will relish in knowing that I will have won."

She swallowed, blinking against the viciousness of his words, but he was gone from the room before she respond. Her legs began to fail her and she slid against the door until she was a pile of weak human and excessive layers of skirt. Her heart was thudding throughout her entire body and her hands shook violently. He terrified her more than she would ever admit to anyone, even herself.

* * *

The moonlight was brilliant white as Elijah and Klaus stalked towards the clearing. The smell of wolf was strong and Klaus picked up a particular feminine scent he recognised, followed by another masculine one. The fire cast shadows that warped and danced along the ground and faded into the darkness of the surrounding trees. The chatter of the pack died down at the new guests and Klaus smirked coldly at them all.

"I am not in the best of moods," he warned with a falsely jovial tone, "I would hurry to the purpose of this meaning if I were you." His eyes landed on Tyler Lockwood and a female wolf he once had during a drunken stupor. She was adequate, but he took no satisfaction from it. He had bumped into Caroline and the touch of their hands activated the mating instinct within him. He had tried to convince himself that he had not felt it, but the wolf in front of him had just confirmed it. He should have killed her. she had no pack, no one would miss her. He just did not wish to bury another body that night.

She stepped forward, head tilted high as if she mattered. She was an orphan peasant with no home or status. She was a prostitute, a whore, nothing more. He wanted to laugh. "Apologies, what is your name again?" He asked, tilting his head as Elijah side eyed him. She bristled, wincing at her worthlessness. "Hayley," she answered coldly. "You should learn it. I am carrying your child."

Even Elijah allowed himself to smile as he ducked his head. A loud rumbling laughter escaped Klaus as Hayley looked over her shoulder to Tyler for help. "Oh, no. You are not," Klaus chuckled, clearing his throat so he simply smiled that dead smile at her. "I am. I am pregnant. A witch confirmed it was yours," she tried, her pout doing nothing to gain anything from him. He wondered how he even found her attractive. He placed blame on the alcohol. "Oh, you city wolves have no clue of your heritage and species, do you?" Klaus drawled out, leaning back against the tree amused. "Wolves only bear children with their mate. I have my own. The witches did not confirm me as father. You simply decided to leech on to the richest man you opened your legs for within the time of conception."

He turned to Tyler and smirked. "Take your mate and leave before I rip all of your hearts out. Including hers. Child be damned." Hayley's eyes widened with fear and she span around to Tyler. "You said this would work," she hissed, "You said that he had a human." Tyler growled back at her, "She's just a human whore. It's his child. Not mine." All amusement left Klaus and he moved at a pace inperceptible to the human eye. Holding Tyler by the throat, he let the boy kick at the air beneath his feet whilst choking.

"If you so much as speak of, look at, or _think_ of my mate, I shall rip you limb from limb." Klaus threw him away and the pregnant liar began towards him. Grabbing the back of her neck, he held her in place. "If I see your face ever again, I shall rip your head off. The same goes for all of you. Lockwood included. Leave now. Do not return. If you ever plan to manipulate or overthrow me again - which is what I know you planned to do, Lockwood - I will ensure that you feel so much pain that you beg me for death. I will not give that luxury to you. Do not come near me, my family, or my mate again." He shoved Hayley towards Tyler and they both fell to the floor again.

Elijah followed, unsettled by his brother's strolling and ignorance of his presence. "Niklaus, was that truly the best means of dealing with this? We do not know whether the witches are working with them or if there is a larger plot at stake than infiltration of your bed chambers through a child." Klaus span around suddenly, inches from Elijah though the eldest brother felt no intimidation. "Wish to protect your new beau, _brother_?" He taunted darkly, eyes flooded with a fatal burning. "Tell me, what exactly did your _session_ with _my_ mate consist of?"

Elijah snapped and slammed his hand into Klaus' chest. The hybrid flew back but landed on his feet. "You question me? I am your brother. We may have made that mistake as humans but I see now that you, as my family, mean more to me than anything. My kindness towards Caroline comes from your _pathetic_ ill-treatment of her. You are afraid of feeling for her, so you hurt her. I am not that petty, _brother_. I am kind to her where you fail to be. I am being the brother in law she needs, the brother she needs. She has nothing here that is familiar with and you make her time here harder with your every meeting because you refuse to open yourself up to her. Your mate is your eternity and you are making her despise you. Do you truly wish for her to hate you?"

They stood, one glaring with fury at being challenged and one with disappointment in his narrowed eyes. "Do not cross me," Klaus simply warned once more before disappearing back to the castle. Letting out a sigh, Elijah ran his hand over his face and looked around. He hoped his words struck his brother as they intended, but with Niklaus he never knew.

* * *

**AN: I'm trying to get the week up to the wedding done in this chapter and the next. I want the one after that to be the wedding and the wedding night. It might be a little fast paced in the writing, but it's just so I don't drag out the inevitable and bore you all. Anyway, I hope you like the chapter. Feel free to review and let me know if I'm doing it right.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

Caroline let Kol lead her to the witches' rooms beneath the main castle floor. It wasn't quite the dungeon, but it was still dank and mouldy. There was a storm outside, the rain wetting the stones through the ground outside and the thunder's rumbling echoing through the tunnel-like corridors. "Ease yourself, darling," Kol said softly. "Your heart is frantic. I doubt it is healthy." She shivered slightly and he smirked a little as he took off his cloak and wrapped it around her. She opened her mouth to protest but he waved her off. "Vampires do not feel the cold. Especially not ones as old as we. Besides that, Niklaus would kill me if I allowed you to grow ill due to the cold." HE steered the conversation when he saw her flinch. "The witches requested these rooms. Closest to nature. In the ground, near the flowers. They're an odd lot but useful."

He pushed open a great oak door and they walked in to a practicing room filled with pots of herbs, flowers, powders, and substances she could not place. It was empty of people, though. Kol huffed, rolling his eyes. "They'll be bringing Davina in from the rain," he muttered as an explanation. "She is… unusual… but she is the only one my family like. The others may work for us, but they despise us and are not truly loyal to us. Davina is loyal as we saved her life. The others fear us, Davina is loyal by choice."

The door burst open and a teenage girl slammed it shut behind her, dripping wet from the rain. She bounded over happily and stood in front of Caroline with a critical look in her eyes. "You're the mate, are you not?" She asked, tilting her head. "That she is, Davina," Kol smirked at the young girl, amused by Caroline's discomfort. Davina grasped Caroline's hands and shut her eyes, breathing in deeply. Caroline looked to Kol for help but he just told her to shut her eyes. So she did.

A breeze picked up in the room and she wanted to open her eyes but couldn't. She was trapped. It felt as if her soul was being pulled in by Davina's power. Colours began to fill in the darkness of her closed lids and her breath caught at the familiar swirls of dark gold, stormy blue and forest green that made up Klaus' eyes. They were the first thing to form in the dream like state she was put into. They didn't hold their usual blankness or anger or possession. They looked at her with warmth and love. Red, light and dark, made up his lips and filled with white teeth as he grinned at her. His face slowly began to fit around his features and she was staring at him, she knew, with her own love in her eyes.

_Sound burst the bubble she was in. A shrill scream. It frightened her as something hit her legs. She grabbed onto Klaus' shirt and looked down. Klaus was laughing and she found herself smiling softly despite herself. There at her legs was a little boy with messy golden curls that matched her in colour but Klaus in style. The screaming came from behind him and she looked over to see a little girl chasing after him with anger in her eyes and mud on her skirt. "Papa! He pushed me!" Klaus picked her up, settling her on his hip and looking at her with such sympathy that Caroline froze for a moment. He loved this little girl._

_"What did we say about hurting one another?" Klaus asked, turning to the boy hiding in her skirts. "You are a prince. That title means duty and honour, son." She felt no fear. She felt no fear because he was scolding their son and not hurting him. He loved their children. "I am sorry, Papa. I am sorry, sister," the little boy murmured, crawling out from under her skirts. Scopping down, she pulled him up and held him against her chest securely. "I love you, mama. I love you, Papa. I love you sister."_

_Pressing her lips to his cheek, she giggled as her son's squirming. "I'm a man. A man does not get kissed," he declared, trying to break free. Klaus laughed proudly as their daughter kissed his cheek. "Are you telling me that I am no man?" Klaus teased with narrowed eyes but a smile on his lips. "You are the king, Papa. You are the alpha." Klaus grinned cockily and their daughter rolled her eyes in Caroline's own fashion. "I am the alpha," he taunted as Caroline huffed. "Only to others," the little girl announced with her head held high. "You bend to Mama's will. And mine." Klaus sighed and nodded. "That I do. That I do."_

Caroline gasped, falling backwards and landing against Kol's chest, his waiting arms securing her on her feet. "What was that?" She demanded coldly. "Your future," Davina answered softly before skipping away. "My... That cannot be," she whispered, turning to Kol. "Davina is the descendant of the Oracle. She is most powerful. Always accurate." He saw Caroline pale considerably and set her down on the chair closest to them, kneeling before her. "What did you see, Caroline?" He wondered quietly as she began to breathe erratically. "Children. Klaus. Oh God," she panicked, grabbing Kol's shoulder so tightly he was certain she would have broken it had he been human.

The door opened suddenly but the woman stopped with her mouth open when she realised Davina wasn't alone. The girl backed up against the wall with a glare and Kol sighed. "Must I separate you again?" He threatened the woman at the door, standing protectively between her and Davina. "No, Prince Kol. There is no trouble here," the woman gritted as another witch pushed past her. "Yes, Prince Kol." The new woman, with her exotic dark skin and fiery green eyes, glared at the pale one with strange markings on her skin. "Sophie has been practicing without consent and has been stealing power from the other witches, weakening them considerably."

Kol raised his eyebrows and grinned as a child would when receiving a new toy. "Bonnie, be a dear and take Caroline up to my sister's chambers after you have performed your task. I must deal with the traitor," Kol drawled as he grabbed the woman's arm. She began to struggle, but Kol was gone before Caroline could even argue with him. "My name is Bonnie Bennett. I am the king's personal witch," she introduced as she came before Caroline. "Are you ill?" Caroline shook her head, eyes flicking over to Davina. Bonnie gave her an understanding look before taking her hands and leading her over to a padded table.

"If you could just remove your dress and then lie down, please, Princess," she said softly as she prepared some potions and herbs in a bowl. "Why? What are you going to do?" She asked warily, her eyes once again moving over to Davina who was reading in the corner. Bonnie placed the herbs down and came in front of her. "I am going to use magic to assess your health and the strength of your womb. That will allow me to modify the fertility potion to suit you, Princess."

Nodding slowly, Caroline reached behind her and began untying the laces of her dress. She lay down in her slip on the table and continued to watch Bonnie. "Princess," she began, but Caroline corrected her. "Caroline. Call me Caroline." Bonnie gave her a small pretty smile and Caroline managed to return it. "_Caroline_," she restarted as she brought a small knife from the table. "I apologise now. I must cut through the material to reach your stomach." Caroline nodded uncertain and kept her eyes on the knife as Bonnie picked up her slip from her body and cut into it.

It was an odd happening. Bonnie cut a hole in her slip until all of her stomach was on show. She then proceeded to lather a mixture of herbs and oils on to her skin whilst chanting in a language Caroline didn't recognise. Her stomach began to glow, the lower part where Bonnie said the womb was. After a few moments, Bonnie moved a hand over Caroline's heart and began another chant until Caroline began to feel drowsy.

When she stopped, Bonnie watched Caroline blink sleepily and smiled sweetly at the poor human. "Caroline, try not to fall asleep, please," she teased lightly, earning a stuck out tongue from the princess. "Why am I tired?" Caroline whined as Bonnie had her sit up. Whatever concoction she had put on Caroline's stomach had sunk into the skin as if it had never been there. "The effects of magic differ to which spell has been cast. This spell has the effect of exhaustion as every part of your body has been tested by it."

Grumbling, she let Bonnie help her dress then drag her along up to Rebekah's room. "What did you do to her?" Rebekah asked with a grimace as Caroline swayed sleepily. "The spell drained her. If you wouldn't mind keeping her awake, I shall return from the kitchens with some food to fill her. That should wake her more." Rebekah nodded, tossing Caroline over her shoulder with a small smile at Caroline's slurred insults under her breath. Clearly that was meant to stay in her head.

* * *

After half an hour of making Caroline eat, the human was finally able to sit up without assistance. Bonnie excused herself to work on the potion, leaving the two blondes in the room. "Must we learn of the wedding? I know what is expected of me already," Caroline muttered with a small pout that had Rebekah smiling at how sweet the girl was. She was like a dog, loyal and adorable but deadly when in danger. "Well, do you know what is expected of you on your wedding _night?_" Caroline's face burnt crimson as she stuttered in shock. The afternoon was spent embarrassingly with Rebekah teaching Caroline how to... _entertain_ and _pleasure_ a man.

* * *

It was late at night as Caroline slept in her bed. Her head began to ache and she whimpered, waking slowly. The pain shot through her head again and she opened her eyes to see if there was anything wrong outside her body. The window was open and someone was stood there. Shooting up in bed, she looked at the intruder and calmed upon recognising them.

"Elena?" She called. The girl span around and looked at her. Something was different about her. She was colder, harder, paler, sharper. Like all the goodness and softness had been taken away from her. "Elena?" She questioned again, softer and desperate.

She turned and ran from the room, but Caroline would not let her go again. Grabbing her robe, Caroline chased after her. By the time she got to the door, there was no one in the hall. Not even her guard. _Maybe I am still asleep? _There was a flash of brown curls and Caroline frowned. Elena had straight hair. The laughter that filtered through the halls was Elena's though.

Running after her, she came to a stop and saw a straight haired brunette dashing down the end of the hall, then she was gone around the corner. Every time Caroline came to a turning, she was always as the other end of the hall. Straight hair, thick curls, unstyled waves. The hair was different. The turnings were random. She was lost.

Stopping at the top of some stairs, Caroline turned left and right. Suddenly Elena - but with loose wavy hair - was in front of her. Her face was sunken with shadows distorting her face. Her face. Oh, her face! It was monsterous, her eyes black and her teeth long. Forgetting to lift her dress, Caroline stumbled back and tripped. Elena grabbed her wrist, tight enough to cause her pain. Another hand covered her mouth from behind to muffle her scream.

Looking out of the corner of her eye, she saw another monsterous Elena, curly haired and smiling with fanged teeth. She tried to scream again but the second Elena had her throat as well. The first Elena grinned again cruelly, then the second was gone, pulling her slightly. Caroline had lost her balance and the first Elena let go of her wrist. Gasping, she tried to scream but wasn't able to. Her throat hurt too much from being grabbed.

She was falling. Her back smacked on stone stairs and then her head. Vision blurred and ears ringing, she felt herself succumb to the feeling of losing control. Her body felt broken and when she finally came to a stop, all she saw was Elena. Elena with curly hair, Elena with straight hair, Elena with wavy hair. They blended together, then broke apart. She was insane. Or was this a dream? No. You don't land in a dream.

She was dying. Lost in the black.

* * *

Kol heard the thud echo in the hall and frowned. The smell of blood hit his nose and he rolled his eyes. Someone was feeding too hard. He sat in the darkness of the lounge, hidden from sight as he waited for Bonnie. He would have stayed, had he not seen the flash of brown hair and white gown. Spinning around, he silently made his way to the door and looked out. At the end of the hall to his left was a girl with straight hair. She looked left and right before a guard grabbed her arm and took her away, looking around nervously.

Kol turned to his right and saw two girls in the same gown and with the same hair but in different styles. "The bitch is as good as dead," one hissed. He couldn't see them in the dark, not at the angle he was at. If he moved, they would know he was there. "Long live the lonely king," the other drawled with a cruel joy in her voice. _What did that mean?_ Kol wondered.

The thud. The blood. _Caroline_!

"NIK!" He roared. The girls jumped and fled. "SIEZE THEM!" He ordered. Vampires came from no where, grabbing one of them almost instantly. The other was old, much older than most of the guards it seemed. Kol screamed for Elijah and Rebekah, following the scent of blood.

There on the platform of the stairs lay Caroline, mangled and bloodied. "HERE!" He kept shouting until Rebekah came to him. "Nik is unconscious," she let out, falling to her knees and ripping into her wrist with her fangs. "It must be their bond," Kol shrugged as his sister healed Caroline. "No!" A voice screeched from the bottom of the stairs. They turned to find one of the girls glaring at them. "You're not supposed to save her, he is!"

"Katerina," Rebekah snarled, almost lunging but stopping when Kol grabbed her arm. "The doppelgänger?" He whispered confused. "There were three girls. Another was taken by a guard," he called to the knight. "No one had been imprisoned, Kol," Bonnie said as she rushed up to his side. "I saw a guard letting them in through Sophie's window earlier. When I tried to come back, the guard found me and bit me. Then another held their hand over my throat until I fell unconscious. I am sorry. I could not do anything. I only just awoke."

He nodded slowly, seething in his anger. Bonnie began chanting, helping Caroline to heal. She was fading, even with the blood. Something smacked against a wall at the top of the stairs and the siblings looked up to find Klaus leaning against it. He was pale and sickly looking, no energy or life in him. He flashed to the railing, only making it a few feet before he was leaning against it and trying to hold himself up. "Let me help you," Elijah pleaded as he came to the hybrid's side, but he was waved away. Klaus stumbled down the next few stairs before collapsing beside Caroline's body.

Rebekah moved out of the way as Klaus took Caroline's hand. Bonnie gasped, sitting straighter as energy filled her. Klaus' eyes rolled back into his head and he fell to the side as Rebekah screamed in shock, catching him before he smacked his head. Caroline gasped awake, sitting up and fighting as Kol reached for her. "No! No!" She screamed, kicking and hitting out. "Caroline! CAROLINE!" Elijah shouted. The male voice registered and she fell forward, curling up and sobbing.

"Why did she try to kill me?" She asked brokenly. "Who?" Eliah asked as he held her against him to support her. "Elena. No, not Elena. I thought she was. She wasn't. She was... not Elena." Kol caught his eye, giving him a confused look before mouthing "We caught Katerina." Elijah stiffened a moment but held onto Caroline tighter. "No, it was not Elena. Come. Rebekah and I will take you to your rooms."

"No!" Caroline screamed as she shoved him away. "She knew where I was," she cried softly. Rebekah sighed, helping her to her feet. "You will stay with me." Hiding Klaus' ill form from Caroline, Rebekah led the poor thing away to her rooms. Kol and Elijah carried their brother to his chambers with Bonnie close behind.

* * *

Chanting, Bonnie began to assess the hybrid's condition. The brothers waited impatiently, with Kol pacing and Elijah simply glaring in thought. "Whoever attacked Caroline knew that Klaus would be weaker," she finally spoke and the brothers snapped their heads to her. "There is magic, dark magic. He can fight it, but I need to regain my strength. I will not be able to help until morning. The spell to clean him of what holds him in this state will need me and Davina at our strongest. I am afraid that I can do nothing until I have had rest."

"Can I help?" A small voice questioned. Rebekah was stood behind Caroline, holding her arms so she wouldn't fall. "You need rest, Caroline," Elijah tried, but the human simply staggered into the room. "No. I close my eyes and see my friend attempting to end my life. I cannot rest. Rebekah was babbling about him. What is it? What is wrong with him?"

Kol pulled up a chair for her next to Klaus' bedside but she ignored it and sat on the edge of the bed instead. Putting her hand to his head, she flinched and took it away. He was boiling, too hot for it to be anything natural, too hot for a human to survive. His lips were chapped, bleeding a little, and his eyes moved rapidly under his closed lids.

"Black magic. I do not know the spell well, we do not learn dark magic here, but I do know how to reverse it," Bonnie explained as she watched the shaking human carefully. Something in the blonde lit up upon sitting beside her betrothed; a need to care for him, to make sure he would be well. "I need cool water and rags," she murmured as she ran her fingers over his sunken cheek. He looked so ill. Rebekah flashed away for the water and rags as Kol escorted Bonnie back to her chambers.

Elijah moved to her side as she inspected Klaus, watching her. "Why do you aid the man that has brought you pain and suffering?" He questioned softly. "I do not ignore anyone in need of aid. I would be a monster if I did not. Helping is what I do best. Caring, soothing. It is all I truly know how to do. Fix things, I mean."

"You cannot fix my brother. You cannot save him. Not unless he wishes so." She turned to him with a sad smile. "I will try, though." Rebekah returned to the room and put the stuff down on the table beside the bed before leaving, pulling Elijah along with her. "They shall be fine," she insisted, tugging her brother's hand. Caroline dipped a rag in the cold water and put it on his forehead lightly. His brows furrowed at first with the cold, but he relaxed a moment later.

Dabbing at his lips with another, she ignored his rumblings in his throat. He was trying to talk, but his lips were stuck together. "Shh," she whispered, running her other hand over his chest. She did that once with her brother, when he was ill. It soothed him and it seemed to soothe Klaus, too.

Sleep began to pull her in as she changed the rag on Klaus' forehead. She was so tired, so so tired. She tried to fight it, but found herself falling against his chest and letting sleep consume her.

* * *

**AN: Lots happened in this chapter! We'll get to the wedding. Not in the next chapter, the chapter after, I think. Let me know what you think. I hope you liked it. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

The morning came after long struggles to wake from his nightmares. The sunlight caught on something gold as Klaus' eyes finally opened. Looking down, he saw Caroline collapsed against his chest in sleep. Her chest rose and fell with each uneven breath, her eyelids flickering and lashes fluttering with her light sleep. His body was heavy, weighed down with whatever poisonous curse ailed him. His hand was gentle though as he lay it against her neck and stroked her cheek with his thumb.

His eyes were tracing over her, trying to find any sign of her injuries that he saw before she was healed. He still did not know why he gave his strength to aid Bonnie in her spell. He despised being weak, but the pain he felt was unbearable and the sight of her so broken tore him in two. She would have healed with Bonnie's aid and more of Rebekah's blood, but he had given up his strength without thinking.

"Klaus?" She called quietly, his eyes snapping back to hers. She lifted herself to sit, flinching when her back cracked and she moved her stiff neck. His hand fell limply, fingers brushing her breast by accident. A jolt passed through them both at the contact causing Caroline to tense as he just blinked at her. He tried to say something, but he only let out a croak.

immediately, she was up and opening his drawer to get the wine hidden behind his trousers. It wasn't the best alcohol he had hidden in his room, but then again he would not be able to enjoy it. The water next to him was tainted with his ill sweats - he could smell that.

She returned, roughly opening the wine bottle and chucking the cork away. She left it in the bottle, choosing the slim neck over a wide goblet. Lifting his head with one hand, she angled it against his dry lips and helped him drink. He despised being weak, but her closeness after days of not being near her made his dead heart race and his wolf roar within him. He needed her as much as he hated to admit that.

Once the wine had cooled and soothed his dry throat, he tried to talk again. His voice was husky from lack of use and unease of the request. "Talk to me." He had wanted it to be an order, but his tone came out pleadingly. Her eyes snapped to his in surprise before darting away. She took a swig of the wine herself, then another... and another. It was unladylike and uncharacteristic of her; it made him smile slightly. Setting the bottle down, she turned back to him.

"Talk to you?" She questioned softly, turning and bringing her legs onto the bed with her. She sat with them bent in front of her, knees on his legs. There was enough room for her to lie next to him should she choose, but he knew that would make her truly uncomfortable. "Talk to me," he repeated. "I fear what will happen should I fall asleep again. The dreams I am being given are nightmares; memories I would rather forget, that I thought I had forgotten after so long."

"If I talk, you might fall asleep from boredom," she murmured self-consciously. "Caroline, I may be cruel and a monster, but you are still my mate. For us to... be united truly, I must know more about you. I will not fall asleep. I will listen. I may not feel love, I may never feel love,but I can accept you are now a constant." It was not quite the reassurance she had hoped for, but it held more emotion than she had ever experienced with him.

"If I tell you something, could you tell me something?" He considered it a moment before talking. "It depends on what you wish to know." She looked away a moment before turning to him. "Why you are so cruel to me if wolves cherish their mates?" Her boldness stunned him a moment, but he quickly replied, "Why are you called the Princess of Light?" It was as much of an agreement as Caroline expected. Even if she told him and he didn't fall asleep, he may not tell her.

"I was given the title after my birth broke a curse over our kingdom," she answered softly as she turned to look out of the window at the morning sun. "For over a hundred years, the island that made up the Kingdom of Falls was cursed by a witch. A shadow passed over the sun and never left. Only the birth of True Love could break the curse. After so long, many had lost all hope of the curse being broken. Everyone was trapped within the kingdom, unable to leave. Ships would break in half in the sea, messenger birds would scorch in the sun outside of the darkness, swimmers drowned.

"After one hundred and fifty years, no one believed the curse could be broken. King William had planned for every witch in the kingdom to unite and break the curse, but their attempt only caused the worst storm in record. My mother, Queen Elizabeth, among many others believed it to be the end, that the storm would kill all. She had fallen in love with a warlock, the King's personal warlock and close friend. The storm raged on for a week and the king sent them home to be with their families when the end came. The warlock went to my mother.

"During the harshest lightning attack of the storm, they were together. During their union, the clouds exploded and the rain set alight. Panic ensued but when the small flames landed they turned to gold. It was the first ounce of light that had ever been given to the kingdom in centuries. That was because a child was created - _I_ was created.

"Over the period my mother was with child, the shadow warped. Vampires that had worked with the witch that had cursed the kingdom tried to kill her to kill me but the magic in me protected us both. When I was born, the shadow snapped like a broken heart. The vampires that did not make it to the shadows burnt to ash. The sadness and darkness faded with my birth."

He was silent for a moment, taking in the story she had just told him. "You have no magic now, though," he pointed out as she turned back to him. "No. I sacrificed it as a child to protect the kingdom. There is a spell over all the land that saves the people from any evil attempting to enter. If evil grows within the boundaries, it dies. The Oracle, when I was a child, told me I would never need my magic as I would turn into something else and lose it anyway. So I used what I had to save my home and prepared to turn into something else. Apparently, the something else is a vampire."

Nodding, he realised that she had told him everything - and more. "I am not a wolf," he told her after a pause, earning creased brows in response until she caught on. "I am a vampire. Vampires are cruel." She shook her head at him and turned away. "You are neither. You are a hybrid. Vampire _rules_ do not control you, nor do wolf ones. Even if your vampire traits are stronger, the wolf in you should understand I am your mate."

A scoff escaped him and she span around to face him, crossing her arms over her cest defensively. "What do you know of wolves?" He demanded incredulously. "Rather a lot. I watched a pack of them rip apart my sister and then I watched my father behead them. I have spent many years researching them. One attempted to court me, showering me with lavish gifts and promises of an escape from my destiny. I did not understand until I met with the Oracle and she gave me the answers. I know more than you think. You underestimate me."

The tension grew between them and she was about to shout at him again when he lunged at her. Turning them over, he pressed his body on hers. She was about to scream for help when she realised he wasn't actually doing anything but the windows were smashing. Bursts of fire surrounded them as flaming arrows caught material and furniture. One hit the wine, exploding it over Klaus' back. He groaned and rolled off her, yanking off his burning shirt.

Grabbing her, he flashed out of the room. The guards were dead outside his door and he was staggering as he did the night before, only getting so far before he was setting her down. "Klaus!" She shrieked as he fell to his knees. Kneeling before him, she held his face so he would meet her eyes. "I need... blood," he panted, trying to push her away as his face changed.

She kept a hold of his face and seemed to freeze. He just wanted her to leave before he snapped and attacked her but then she did something that truly terrified him. Her thumbs brushed the veins under his eyes and looked at him with a softness that made his stomach tighten. Then she tilted her head, offering her neck. "I cannot feed from you," he tried but then she pricked her finger on his fang.

Her blood, even just the single drop, was heaven. In a blink, he had her pinned against the wall with his mouth hovering over her neck. "I would rather it be me you feed from. You cannot kill me, can you?" He shook his head, nose brushing her skin. What a sight they were; a nervous Princess in her night gown and the ferocious - and _shirtless_ - monster at her neck. "Please, hurry." His fangs pierced her neck without hurting her, but the feeling of her blood being pulled through her body was odd and slightly painful.

A low growl escaped him and he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist so she was flush against him, his other hand tightening as it bunched up her hair. He wanted it all. He wanted to drain every last drop from her body. She was... _divine._ Then he heard her voice. "Klaus," she breathed as she felt herself weakening. Her hands clawed weakly at his tensed arms. He forced himself away, resting his forehead against her shoulder and panting. He should move away, run away as far as he could, but he could not leave her. Not now.

He bit into his wrist and held it up for her. The feel of her gentle lips around his wrist made him shudder. Her tongue ran over the wound and she sucked uncertainly. He growled again and she sucked in return until his wound healed itself. Bringing his head from her shoulder, he watched the bite marks he had left behind heal slowly.

Her stomach was churning and fluttering, unsure whether to be excited or disgusted by what just occurred. "Niklaus!" Elijah shouted, rushing towards them. Klaus released her, giving her a lingering look she could not identify before flashing away. "Are you hurt? What happened?" Elijah questioned as Rebekah ran up to her with a blanket, covering her as she shook. "I- I do not know," she admitted as she looked to where Klaus had gone.

* * *

Elijah looked at the woman he once loved, her hair matted and her skin turning grey. The brown eyes that once had him defying his brother were cold and blank. "Katerina," he greeted curtly. "Elijah," she mocked, voice hard and scratchy from the blood letting she had just had. "What were you trying to do? What did you expect to gain by harming Caroline?" Katherine just glared in fury, not answering.

He flashed towards her, grabbing her throat and pinning her against the damp wall she was chained to. "Answer me," he compelled with a vicious sneer. "The plan was to have you or Kol heal her. With the blood in her system, a witch could manipulate her emotions and she would fall in love. It would drive Klaus insane and he would be weak. Or she would die and it would work all the same."

"What spell was placed upon my brother?" She smirked at him with a leer. "We did not know the bond was so strong already. The witch realised he was as weak as Caroline and used that to her advantage. He is losing to his wolf side and he will break her. Nothing you do will stop it and then the others will come and finish our work."

"What others?" He snarled, leaning in closer. "Many others," she simply stated. Fury coursed through him and he flicked his wrist, snapping her neck. "I want four guards posted here at all times," he ordered as he left the dungeon. He had a brother to help.

* * *

Candles flared as the young witches chanted, stood either side of the bed. Lying in the centre stoically, Klaus felt the poisonous remains of the spell dragging through his body. Sweat coated his skin, despite the windows being open and him only wearing his trousers. Rebekah kept Caroline back, holding her to her side as they watched.

Grunts and moans broke from him and Caroline flinched with each one. She wanted to help him but could not do anything. His back arched off the bed, fists ripping the sheets beneath him as his body filled with agony. It was like a thousand transformations simultaneously. He was breaking and snapping out of place.

"Rebekah," Caroline whimpered softly. He focused on anything but her, anything but her heartbeat and tempting self. A harsh roar rumbled through his body and erupted from his throat. Bonnie and Davina flew from the ground, slamming against the walls. Rebekah flashed over to Davina, smelling the girl's blood from where she hit her head.

Bonnie seemed to be unharmed but was muttering under her breath. Caroline's eyes turned to the bed and she froze. "Rebekah," she whispered. "We need to get out." Rebekah turned, seeing the human's eyes locked on something. Following her line of sight, they saw a great golden wolf beginning to rouse on the bed.

Rebekah rushed the witches out and Caroline fled for the door but was cut off by the confused wolf. It was Klaus, she remembered, he would not hurt his mate. Would he? The wolf knocked the door and it slammed shut. The sudden noise had him lunging and Caroline screamed as he knocked her down.

* * *

Kol forcefully yanked an arrow from a post of the bed and inspected it. The carvings on it were familiar to him. They were spelled - or cursed. He had seen this mark, he was certain of it, but had six hundred years of experience with magic. Walking out of the room, he paused at the top of the stairs.  
Humans began to drop dead soundlessly. Some vampires were screaming as they burnt in the sun whilst some began gasping for air and turned grey. Then wolves began to howl, bodies breaking as they turned.

It was definitely a curse.

Then he heard Caroline's scream, followed by his sister screaming for Caroline.

* * *

Katherine smirked as the scream faintly reached her cell. Snapping necks echoed in the stone room and prisoners began to rouse. "Katherine," she heard as bodies fell with a thud to the floor. "Well, it took you long enough," she smirked, waiting until the chains were off her to flash and sink her fangs into the neck of her saviour. It may be cannibalism to feed from another vampire, but it certainly gave her a rush.

* * *

The torches burst alight in the clearing of the woods as Katherine approached. The castle was dealing with mayhem in every floor; humans dropping dead, daylight rings failing, vampires desiccating, wolves turning. Even the King was in trouble, trapped in a room with his betrothed in his most feral form. No one even noticed she was gone.

The witch that approached her seemed more ethereal than the others, gliding over the earth with an unearthly grace. "Katherine," she greeted, sweeping the girl into an embrace quickly. "Did you find what we need?" Pulling away, Katherine reached into a hidden pocket of her skirt and revealed a round blue-white gemstone, larger than her palm but still rather easy to conceal.

"The moonstone," the witch breathed in awe, snatching it from Katherine's fingers. "And the other?" With a smirk, Katherine removed a leather strap from her neck. From between her breasts came a tooth - a wolf's tooth. "Thank you, Katherine, you have been of great help," the witch praised before turning to her followers.

"Before the eclipse, we shall have dethroned the ruthless king and killed his mate and spawn. Then we will kill the Mikaelsons. We will be free to rule as _we_ wish! We will be free to practice when _we_ choose! WE WILL BE FREE!" The witches began to cheer, but three girls with the same face did not. Katherine had been promised riches and freedom, not death. The human had been promised no harm would come to Caroline.

Katherine screamed, falling to the ground as her brain began to explode. The human one was taken away, too confused and scared to fight back. The last one smirked at the witch in charge; oh, it was all going to plan. It mattered not whether she died. In death, she would have what she wanted. Klaus and Elijah. All to herself.

* * *

**AN: It is more of a filler chapter than I had hoped it would be, but I feel it clears up some things now. Especially with the hints in the last couple of chapters. The next chapter will be what happens with Wolf!Klaus and Caroline, followed by some witched and THEN THE WEDDING WILL BE NEXT! WOO! FINALLY! Feel free to leave a review. I hope you liked it, lovelies. :)  
**


	6. Chapter 6

The wolf lunged at Caroline and she screamed, ducking to the side and running. Klaus' head hit the wall and he whined as he dropped to the floor. Caroline pulled the ribbon from her dress and hooked it through the handles of the wardrobe doors. Ducking in to the large bottom, she pulled the ribbon. Klaus was running at her, but he wasn't quick enough. The doors slammed shut and she fell into the corner. The whole wardrobe shook as he slammed into it.

Pushing herself as far into the corner as she could, Caroline held onto the ribbon with the small hope it could keep the doors shut. Klaus was growling outside and she felt tears come to her eyes. Flashbacks of her sister's body flooded her. Her breathing came out short and quick, making her head spin with the lack of air.

She kept pushing herself into the corner, trying to get away. Suddenly a section of the wardrobe fell away and she tumbled into a little passage. It was an escape route. Klaus was scratching at the wood, hitting it over and over. Without much thought, she turned off her back and crawled into the space. Pushing the back of the wardrobe into place, she saw Klaus' claws get through the wood of the door.

Acting swiftly, she crawled through the small stone passage and ignored the damp smell and horribly giant cobwebs that she had to break through. She didn't know how long she was crawling for, but the small box of wall broke into a hall. Getting to her feet, she ignored the painful protests of her knees and began running straight on.

There was no way to tell where she was going or how long she had been in the passages for. She did not have long to think of that though. A panel of the wall broke and she flinched at the stream of light that hit her. A body stepped into the light, a silhouette that she could not place. "Caroline?"

* * *

Elijah ripped the door off its hinges and threw it away onto the bed. The wolf that was his brother was in the broken wardrobe, whining and pawing at the back of it. Caroline was nowhere in sight. He could not even hear her heartbeat. "Niklaus, where is Caroline?" Elijah asked worriedly. Klaus whined louder, butting the back of the wardrobe with his head. The sound was hollow and Elijah moved towards him.

"Why does he not turn back?" Davina asked, hiding behind Rebekah as she looked at the pacing wolf. "There is a curse over the castle," Kol announced, walking into the room. "The arrows, they were cursed. All wolves will be as such until the full moon." Rebekah span around with wide eyes. "But the wedding is _tomorrow_! He cannot marry like _this_!" She shouted, earning a low growl from Klaus.

A thud broke their arguing and they turned to find Elijah leaning into a hole in the back of the wardrobe. "Where does it lead?" Davina asked quietly, looking into the dark hole. Before anyone could answer, a shrill scream echoed through and sent Elijah reeling back in surprise. Klaus was about to dive in, but Elijah stopped him. "Caroline's sister was killed by wolves. I believe she ran after remembering the incident. Niklaus, you must only approach her when you are human again."

The snarl that came from Klaus had even Rebekah afraid, but Elijah held his ground. Kol flashed into the hole, crawling at an inhuman speed through the tunnel. "Niklaus, she was a girl and she watched her elder sister being torn apart by wolves. Do you honestly believe she would want you, in this form, to appear to her when she is already afraid or hurt?"

Klaus turned away from him, flashing out of the room with Elijah quickly on his heel. Surprisingly, he went to his own chambers and slammed the door on Elijah. From outside, Elijah listened to the painful whimpering and howling that came from his brother with the force he put on changing back without success.

* * *

Caroline let the man help her out of the passage and almost fainted upon seeing his face. "Matthew?" She breathed, reaching a hand up to stroke his cheek. "Caroline," he smiled, crushing her into a warm embrace. "Oh, Matt," she sobbed as she clung to him. Her brother was here. Her brother!

He suddenly pushed her back, a fear in his eyes she had never seen before. "We need to run. You cannot stay here. The king, that monster, he wishes to use you. I know what for. A slave of the bedroom. I will not allow it. We have time to escape, I-"

"Matt," she interrupted, shaking her head. "There is no time. I am to marry him tomorrow. Besides he wishes not to enslave me. I am... his mate." Matt's face paled and he sat down on the bed, pulling her next to him. "How long have you been here?" He asked her brokenly. "A week almost," she breathed, "What of you?"

"I know not how long I have been here. Months, I believe. I have been treated as a guest up until last week. I was locked in here. Now I understand why." She turned to him, looking at him truly for the first time. His face was sunken, despite him looking well fed and much more muscular than she remembered. His hair was limp and uncared for. Under his eyes were blue and sagged with exhaustion.

"When was the last time you slept?" She questioned worriedly as she held his face in her hands, angling it towards her. "I do not remember," he admitted in a small voice, "I have been far too worried about you to sleep. I see Vicki's body, then I see your own. It is too much to bear so I do not sleep."

"I will lie with you for now," she offered, waiting for his nod. They shifted to lie side by side on the bed and she took his hand in hers. "Matt, how did you know I was behind the wall?" She questioned, turning her head to him. "A witch comes to visit. The royals do not allow it, so she comes through the wall. I could hear footsteps, heavier than her own, but I felt they were familiar."

A smile grew slightly on her face when he turned to her, but then a thought struck her. "They let Elena out, though," she murmured, causing him to frown. "Elena? Elena was taken a month before the Mikaelsons." She sat up and he followed. "Tell me everything."

* * *

Kol followed Caroline's scent through the passage until it disappeared. Looking around, he saw a slit of light where the stones did not quite meet. The perk to his heightened sight was that he could also feel the light breeze and hear two heartbeats behind the wall. _"Tell me everything,_" he heard Caroline stress.

"_A month before we were to marry," _an unfamiliar male said, "_two women and two men came to the door. The women, they were exact. Twins, I believed. But they looked like Elena but with different hair and expressions. Their voices were similar, but different too."_

_"The hair, was one curly and one wild as mine used to be? Like waves?" _Kol heard nothing but assumed the man agreed when Caroline added, "_They attacked me! They tried to kill me. Elena was with them!"_

_"Allow me to continue, then. I invited them in, seemingly against my own wishes because I knew not to in my mind and still spoke the words. The one with curls, her voice was deeper than Elena's and her eyes were filled with mischief. She and the pale man left up the stairs. The other girl with loose hair and the somewhat tanned man began killing people. He had told me to stay still and silent, so I did. I watched them slaughter everyone but myself. Then the others came back down the stairs with Elena. She was not fighting and seemed to be enchanted with the pale man. I could do nothing but watch as they all left with Elena."_

Kol pushed the door open and stepped in. Caroline was on her feet in an instant, relaxing somewhat when she saw it was Kol. "Why did you not tell me he was here?" She demanded with a broken expression. "I would have, had I known who he was," Kol answered sharply. "My brother is a secretive and complex man. It does not surprise me that he hides someone of importance from you."

"My own brother, though? The one I have not seen in years. The one I miss with all my heart? Had he returned my only living family to me, I may have been more accepting of my new role in his life." Kol nodded, raising his eyebrows. "As I said. Complex man. Nik despises sharing and giving up his winning hand too soon. You should shout at him, rather than at me considering I was clueless to your brother's being here. I assumed he was a passing fancy of my sister's even if she is in love with Stefan."

Matt bristled, stepping forward to confront him but Caroline cut in. "I cannot talk to Klaus because he is an _animal_ at the moment," she pointed out before adding quietly, "I fear him as a wolf." Kol strode over to her, about to offer her some form of comfort, but Matt pushed her behind him. "Matt, what are you doing?" She asked fearfully, but Kol's face darkened and before Matt could answer Kol took on his threatening ways.

"You would do well to remember I am a Prince, boy. I am also a centuries old vampire. You can move and I walk Caroline to her chambers, or I can rip off your arms and take her away. You would do better by allowing me to walk her than standing in my way. I am not as possessive of sweet Caroline as my brother is, so I advise you never to cross him with regards to his mate. Luckily for you, he is trapped in his wolf form until the next full moon."

"But that's tomorrow night," Caroline exclaimed in horror. "How am I to marry Klaus if he is a _wolf_?" Before he could answer, the door unlocked and opened, revealing a man they did not expect. "Klaus?" Caroline let out, peering over her brother's shoulder. He looked haggard, too tired to stand, but there he was.

It must have been two whole hours before the howling turned to screaming. It pained Elijah more than he would ever admit to hear his brother in such agony. The laboured panting was all he could hear. Klaus was not moving, just breathing heavily. Klaus' transformations lasted mere minutes. He had been turning for over a century. If he wanted, the change could be almost instantaneous, but Elijah knew his brother held out for a few moments to feel the pain. He knew not why.

* * *

Klaus lay flat on his stomach in his chambers. The smell of ash and smoke still stained the air from the fires. The lingering tingle of magic trickled around him. He had broken the curse for only himself. The pain he had experienced was like no other. Every move towards becoming human had been pushed back with more force than he could handle. He was unsurprised that he was losing consciousness.

_Caroline._

Her name broke through the haze and he knew he had to find her. Ever since he fed from her, their bond had grown somewhat on his side. He could feel what she felt, even just slightly. She had been afraid - petrified - of him earlier when all he wanted to keep her safe. The lunging may have been a tad too much. In the early moments of the transition, he is at his most primal. The loud noise he perceived to be a threat sent him into a frenzy for a time and he had only one things on his mind.

Protect Caroline.

She was angry at the moment, sad and afraid also. He had to go to her. Forcing himself to his feet, he staggered to the drawers and found some clothes. He did not rest, not even for a moment. Something was happening. Caroline was emotional. Highly so. He dressed as he crossed the room.

Throwing open the door, he met Elijah's stunned features. He had forgone looking in the mirror, but imagined he was an unpleasant sight. Storming down the hall, he picked up Caroline's scent behind the wall and followed it. He must have looked quite the sight, sniffing at the walls as he walked. He reached a room, a room he knew would lead to trouble, and paused outside the door.

Movement out of the window at the end of the hall caught his eye and he turned. Remaining vampires and some witches were trapping the turned wolves in the now empty stables that sealed them in with magic once inside. The horses were in the forest. He could hear them fussing - especially his own horse who enjoyed his luxurious stable and did not appreciate the damp forest he was forced to stand in whilst beasts sullied his territory.

Breathing in deeply, he prepared for Caroline's certain onslaught of anger. Waving for Elijah to unlock the door, he held onto his control and stepped in behind him. Kol had been threatening Matt and had told Caroline he would not return human until the next night.

"I apologise if I disappoint," he greeted, referring to his human state. He looked to Caroline and the fight left her eyes. He must have truly looked terrible. IT took her a moment but then she shoved her brother to the side. It stunned him, causing him to fall into Kol who righted him without even looking at him.

"You..." She trailed off, not even able to think of an insult because she was so angry. She pointed at him until words came to her. "Pompous, arrogant, lying-" He cut her off, taking her raised wrist and leaving the room with her. She would have fought, but his hold was so loose it would have been too easy. Clearly he did not want a fight like she did. He had to have had a plan and she would surely despise it.

He didn't release her until they were in his study and the door was shut behind them. "Why did you hide my own brother from me?" She seethed as she span around to face him. Her fear wasn't present when he looked like this. The earlier terror of his wolf form forgotten in her anger. "Because there is a curse on him," Klaus answered. "It is almost completely removed. The witch that _secretly_ visits him puts the antidote to the mind control potion he had been given into his nightly glass of wine."

She was frozen. Her brother was poisoned and the cruel king was helping him? "Why?" She let out with a frown. "To get to you. It happened before we arrived for him. Around a month or so before. He will not tell us what happened at that time but we know something did happen. His servants were all only employed a month before we... took them."

"Elena." The name she said was one she had called earlier. "Elena was his betrothed. They were to marry. The women that pushed me down the stairs, they had her face and they convinced Matt to invite them into his home with two men. They took Elena, killed everyone but him... then tried to kill me, it seems."

He was lost in thought. So, it was not Elena and Katherine that threw her down the stairs. There was another doppelgänger working with them. He moved to the door, shouting for Elijah to prepare Katerina for questioning. When he shut it again, he turned to see Caroline glaring at him. "Matt will be at my wedding," she told him, about to leave when he stepped in front of her.

"_Our_ wedding, sweetheart. Do remember you are marrying me in the morning. Oh, and _no_ he is not." Fire burned in her eyes and he held a finger up. "I may consider a deal, however." Her eyebrows pulled together and she huffed from her nose. "What could you possibly want from me? I am marrying you, giving you a child, turning into a vampire from you. I have nothing more to give."

"I have your cooperation. I want your _acceptance._ You will not run away with my child. You will not leave me. You will not even think of it." Her face softened and she lifted her head to completely look into his eyes. "You want a family," she breathed out. "That's all you want." He stepped back, feeling too close and too vulnerable.

He tried so hard not to let emotions through. He put up this wall for a reason. He could not be weak. He could not be emotional. His vampire side complied to such demands, but the wolf in him constantly fought to feel something for Caroline, to cherish and protect her. He was softer than he had been. She would ruin him.

"I will not run. I would never have even without this deal," she said, breaking him from his thoughts. He smirked as he strode to stand behind her. Leaning in close, his lips brushed her ear. "Let us seal it... with a kiss," he purred. She span around to face him in surprise. It was a bad idea. Their lips almost touched in their new state.

It came to her then. "You knew I would never run even if given the opportunity." He nodded. He had simply needed reassurance of her loyalty. "You want a _kiss_ in return?" She asked confused. No, no he did not. He wanted much more. "And you will not avoid the consummation of our marriage," he added, making her pale a moment before her cheeks flushed crimson. She was so pure, unable to think of that night with him in front of her. "I... I won't," she choked out embarrassed. "Good," he added. "Now... I believe we have a deal to settle."

Her eyes hardened but her flush heated her neck. Pushing all reservations aside, she pressed her lips against his. It surprised him that she kissed him first, but he did not falter. Wrapping one arm around her waist and cupping the back of her neck, he ran his tongue over her bottom lip. A gasp parted her lips slightly and he dove in. Fisting his shirt with one hand and gripping his arm with the other, she tried to follow his movements.

She had never been kissed before. The assault on her mouth was too much for her. He took her breath away with every fight of the tongue and press of his mouth. She did not know how long they had been kissing, but she felt her back against a wall suddenly and knew he was losing his control with her. His arm tightened around her, pulling her flush against him before his hand slid around her back to her waist. His other hand ran down from her neck slowly to her ribs.

Her head was spinning and her heart racing. She could barely breathe. Her lungs her burning with desperation for air. Pushing a hand against his throat, she choked him slightly and it was enough to get his lips off hers. "Caroline?" He let out confused, as if not knowing what had happened. She looked at him, seeing the honest confusion in his eyes.

"I could not breathe," she answered as he stepped back. "Why? What happened?" He demanded, eyes flashing gold. "You would not stop _kissing_ me!" She blurted. "Kissing you? We were fighting about your brother and then..." he trailed off, not knowing what truly happened. "They have not left your head," she whispered, looking over him. "Bloody witches," he snarled. He could feel his control slipping as he met her eyes. It was her. She made him weak. It was how they got in. He flashed away to Bonnie. He needed help.

* * *

The witch roared out, throwing the bowl in front of her. So close. She should have made her move sooner. If she had just remembered the girl was _human_ and needed _air_, then she would have done it sooner. "No luck again?" A woman drawled behind her. "When I am in his head, there is so much there that I forget even the most simple things. I forgot she was human. Their emotions were overwhelming and I could not make my move before she pushed him away."

"You let her do so?" The woman behind her snapped. "No. She pushed on his throat. It was enough of a shock to break my concentration and he got through. We shall try again." Before the woman could respond, the witch began to scream. Blood poured from her eyes and she crawled around, desperate for aid. "Help! The Bennett. She's-" The witch fell on her face, landing in her own blood. Dead.

* * *

"Bennett," he shouted as he slammed the door behind him. Bonnie rushed out with a shaking Davina and Kol. "They are in my head. They... Get them out!" He hissed. Kol flashed around, putting the equipment and ingredients away in a blink. Klaus lay on the emptied table and the girls held hands across his chest. Their chanting was foreign to him, too quick to even distinguish one word from another. They began to falter with the power of the spell and Kol grabbed on from his spot at Klaus' head.

The added energy from the Original - the only to have practiced as a human - gave them enough. Blood poured from Klaus' nose but they ignored it. It was black. It was cursed. Lightning flashed outside and the wolves howled.

Rebekah stumbled into the room and saw the three of them over her brother. Without questioning it, she hopped up onto the table beside her brother and gave them her hands. The cross formed over him was most powerful. Two potential Originals and two of the most powerful young witches in the world.

Lightning broke through the glass of the window and struck their palms. They felt nothing as it passed through them and shot into Klaus' chest. His back arched and he screamed out. The entire spell lasted mere minutes. Then it stopped. Klaus lay on the table panting as the witches fell to the floor exhausted. Rebekah toppled over and Kol caught her before lying them both down on the floor.

The black blood that came out of Klaus' body fell completely off him in a semi-solid goo, splatting on the floor. It was the remains of the curse. There was always a physical remain, from a bodily fluid to a scar. The black gloop split in two and changed form. It became a pair of eyes.

* * *

**AN: Everyone loves last minute, just before the wedding drama. I promise the wedding is the next chapter. Although there's a lot more wedding night smut than there is actual wedding-ness. So, I hope you appreciate the 1800+ words worth of smutty goodness I spent all last night writing during a bout of insomnia. Anyway, I hope you like this chaper, leave a review and let me know what you think. Honestly, I'm not too happy with it. I wrote it out five times and this was the better chapter. It just wasn't working for me.**


	7. Chapter 7

Caroline had been too lost in her thoughts over the early hours of the morning to even realise what Anna, Bonnie, and Rebekah were doing to her. Her wedding was in an hour. After that would be her coronation. It was risk enough to have a single public ceremony so they would do both in one day.

Her thoughts had gone from fear of an attack to fear of the night. She would lose her virginity to Klaus. She doubted he would be kind to her especially if what Rebekah had said was true. Wolves claiming their mates meant leaving marks; bites, bruises, scratches. Throw in his vampire traits - extreme strength and speed - she felt certain she would be at the very least in pain by the next morning.

She wondered absently if she would even be able to leave her bed the next morning due to the pain - or due to Klaus. She didn't know how long he expected their wedding _night_ to last. He wanted an heir fast after all. That was why Bonnie had thrust a vial at her the moment she woke up and then another a few hours later. It built up her system over time, readying her for the possibility of conception that very night.

Three gasps brought her from her thoughts and she blinked a few times until her eyes were focused.

_Oh._

She looked stunning. She had never looked more beautiful. The train of her dress was at least ten foot and her veil half as much. She truly looked like the princess - the queen - her mother had promised she would be. The corset had intricate white lace over a deep gold material. Her veil was sheer with the edges detailed in the same dainty lace. The pattern, she recognised it as lilies and vines of ivy. There were small birds and stars in the spaces. It must have taken... months to create.

The fear was swallowing her once more so she lost herself in the dress. The bottom skirt was coloured to match the corset whilst the over skirts were brilliant white. They fanned out at her hips widely and fell lightly. It was not only a beautiful dress but a graceful one. At first glance it seemed simple, but look again and all the details come to light. She adored it.

"Caroline, drink this vial before we leave," Bonnie ordered lightly. _Leave_. Leave where? To her wedding, of course. She felt faint but she felt strong all at once. She wanted to be strong. For Matt, for Victoria, for her mother... for herself. Sipping the vial, she walked with Rebekah as Anna and Bonnie carried her train for her towards the doors.

Rebekah took the vial from her, hiding it between her breasts when she realised there was nowhere else to put it. That brought a smile to Caroline's face just in time for the doors to open.

* * *

The brown eyes watched as the doors open. Oh, she was smiling. _Wonderful_. She walked behind Rebekah, the budding bride in white and gold. It made her sick. The _girl_ was already pure enough as it was, they did not need to mak her angelic. Turning to the King, she realised he was entranced by her. The spell the night before seemed to do him no damage. He barely even looked tired.

There was nothing she could do whilst inside the castle. She could not stop the wedding, not now. The entire castle was spelled so that no evil could enter. That was why she had to fit inside someone else's body. Only her eyes gave her away. They were brown rather than the Lady Amelia's blue. They knew her and trusted her, so she had been invited in.

The ceremony blurred by. Vows and promises were spoken for their eternity, then the veil was pulled away. It was the first time many had seen the Princess of Light and the gasps around her fuelled her anger further. Yes, she was beautiful, but not _that_ beautiful. _She _was. She was beautiful to Klaus once. She would _always_ be beautiful to him. She would show him.

* * *

Klaus' lips met Caroline's with the briefest touch, his hands holding her face lightly. Her fingers wrapped around his wrists and all he wanted was to take her away then. He had not even truly remembered the ceremony. His mind was still a little foggy from the spell.

They moved onto the crowning and Klaus removed the veil from his wife. Handing it over to Rebekah, he fixed the few curls that had shifted before helping her up the last few stairs to the thrones. Standing before her, he asked for her loyalty to the kingdom and gave a speech about honour. She complied to his terms and he looked at her a moment in awe.

Even knelt before him he could feel her potential power. He had the one thing in his hands that would make her a true queen, the one object that would grant her authority, but the power within her had him stunned. Her eyes were still on his own as he lowered the crown atop her head.

The crowd cheered as he held out both his hands and helped her to her feet. Leading her to her throne, the pair sat together hand in hand. The room bowed to them and Klaus' eyes surveyed the area. For a moment, he thought he saw a pair of eyes that haunted him for six hundred years, but they disappeared into the sea of worshipping guests.

Shaking it off, he turned to his wife, his queen, his mate. The guests that were not invited to stay left swiftly, leaving half the guests in the room. Rebekah came and removed the train from Caroline's skirt before he led her to the centre. Holding him to her, they danced. His eyes stayed on hers and, surprisingly, she did not look away even though she blushed rather vividly.

She was a true queen, brave in the face of fear. He knew she was scared of him; scared of him without emotions. He had to force himself to feel nothing. There could be a threat to them, to her, at any moment and emotions made a person weak. Love was a vampire's greatest weakness. He refused to learn otherwise.

He kept his eyes on her all night, though she mostly stayed with Rebekah and Bonnie or her brother. She danced with him a lot, then with Elijah, reluctantly with Kol, then back to himself. Whenever they danced together, his body ignited. The bloody mate bond was testing him and it was infuriating.

* * *

Caroline's hand ran over the fabric of her wedding one last time before she shut the wardrobe door on it. After dancing, socializing, and celebrating for hours, they had stood in front of a painter for another two hours. Klaus wasn't quiet satisfied and made his own adjustments before making her stand on her own for another hour whilst he painted her. She did not understand his need to have her immortalised in canvas and paint, but he had growled whenever she moved.

Night was falling. It was growing cold. She was waiting for her husband. He was lost to himself again. The moment of humanity she had witnessed the day before appeared to have died. Her stomach churned uneasily and she wrapped her arms around her as she looked out of the window. He was behind her quite suddenly, hands on her hips. She had not even heard the door. His thumbs ran up and down, sending tingles throughout her body through her thin chemise.

"Relax, Caroline," he purred, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. "I cannot," she let out in a breath, shaking slightly with nerves. He turned her to face him and his eyes ran over her as if judging her. "It will be enjoyable for both of us, Caroline. I will make sure of that." Whether she felt pain or not was not relevant to him whilst in this state. He would claim her, take her, fuck her. He was the king, the alpha, her husband. He would do as he liked but it would be no fun if she didn't enjoy at least some of it.

He pulled at the cord at the front of her chemise to loosen it and watched the shoulders slip down to the crook of her elbow. She held the front up, but he grabbed her hands and held them to his chest. Her breasts were bared to him and he couldn't help but smirk. "Come now, sweetheart, no need to be shy," his voice lulled her into submission. When he lowered her hands to her sides the thin material fell to the floor.

His tongue darted out to lick his lower lip and Caroline's eyes were caught on the action. Her cheeks were burning crimson as his hands came to rest on her waist a moment before pulling her flush against him. His lips crushed against hers and she blinked in surprise. Shadn't expected him to kiss her, just to ravish her as he had promised. His tongue ran against her lips and he found herself gasping as he pinched her backside. Her hands flew to his arms as he deepened the kiss.

There was a sense of desperation in the kiss as he wrapped his arm around her waist. She was stood on her toes trying to reach his height with one hand braced on his shoulder and the other arm around his neck. A low growl broke through him as he ground his hips against her. There was an wetness beginning between her legs and she squirmed slightly in an attempt to hide it. Rebekah had warned her about but it did not give her any less embarrassment.

He could smell her arousal as he pressed his hardness against her lower stomach. A small whimper escaped her and he ripped his mouth from hers. She thought she had done something wrong, but he picked her up by the waist and tossed her on to the bed rather than pushed her away like she expected. She watched with curious eyes as he removed his shirt whilst approaching her tauntingly slow.

Before he climbed on to the bed he removed the rest of his clothes, leaving her with a lot to look at. Her breath caught in her throat as he pulled her legs apart and his eyes roamed over the newly exposed parts of her. She did not know it was possible to feel more naked than she had, but her blush had surely spread to her chest by now. The bed dipped with his added weight as he set himself between her parted legs.

Fire burned through her body in a trail left by hands from her ankles to her breasts. He grabbed them roughly and her back arched off the bed. Pressing open mouthed kisses to both, he moved up to her neck and lingered over her vein. He could hear the rushing blood, the quickened beat of her heart. It was so tempting, but they were not ready yet. His lips grazed her jaw before landing on her own.

His kiss was not gentle or slow. He was hungry, his eyes turning gold with his wolfish desires. She caught sight of his eyes and gasped, giving him the freedom to devour her. Her arm flew around his shoulders for some grounding but she was helpless. Her mind began to cloud with a new feeling. She wanted him in a way she had never before. She liked what he was doing to her but it wasn't enough. Lust. That was what Rebekah had called it. It wasn't how she explained it though.

She was consumed by it, and so was Klaus judging by the wild look in his eyes. Her hips rocked and wriggled with some desperate need she did not know of. They seemed to do their own thing, reaching up to his as he pressed down on her. She wanted him to touch her but she didn't know what to ask for. A noise between a growl and a whimper escaped her and he pulled away from her lips. Their eyes were locked as he began to slide into her.

They were breathing heavy as they stared at one another. He was slow and shallow at first until the pain subsided. Their bodies were growing as one emotionally, the bond swallowing them into a pressing bubble of private passion. It did not take long before the bed was shaking beneath them and his hand was breaking the headboard in half. She cried out and her nails scratched open his shoulders with the force of his thrusts. He would make her scream. It was pat of the claiming.

Oh, did she scream. Her voice bounced off the walls and her nails dug into his arms. Her legs tightened against his sides as she convulsed. He rode her out, fingers gripping her sides tightly as he slowed his pace slightly. Her scream cut off suddenly as another wave of shocking pleasure washed over her, a choked moan coming out of her instead. Her entire body reacted to him in ways she didn't know it could; her toes curled, her stomach knotted, her skin flamed, her vision filled with coloured sparks, and her body was twisting and twitching.

As she released, he bit into her neck. His fangs didn't bring her any pain what with her mind completely lost in the pleasure. Her sweet blood was intoxicating, bringing not only the beast out in in him but the monster. The blood called to his vampire side whilst she called to his inner wolf. His thrusts became harder again, slapping skin echoing alongside her gasping moans. Her felt her bite his shoulder in attempt to muffle herself and everything in him fell apart.

He spilled inside her, ripping his fangs out of her to roar into the room. His arms shook and he slipped on to his forearms above her. His lips brushed her bleeding wound but his fangs were retreating again. Her legs slipped from around his waist and landed on the bed with a thud. She lay unmoving as he forced himself up again. The wolf in him was not satisfied.

A new energy exploded within him when he looked at her. She was a vision to look at her. Her cheeks were red and her skin flushed pink, her hair was in disarray around her head on the pillow, and her neck slowly healing where his bite had once been. Her body was limp, her breasts catching his attention as her chest rose with every breath. Her nipples were still hard and he could smell her arousal spike again. Looking back up to her face, he saw her lost in thought. He'd been growing stiffer as he admired her and the wolf in him demanded he claim her properly.

Caroline lay there after he pulled out of her. He had taken her virginity, he had bitten her and hurt her, but she wanted more. She felt something within her change. It was as if she was tuned to him suddenly. The flicker of desire she felt was not her own - she was far too tired and shy to think of experiencing that a second time. When she looked to him she realised it was his desire she had felt.

"Come on, love," he smirked, breaking the silence and breaking her thoughts. His hands turned her over with so little effort that she wanted to slap him. She felt even more vulnerable as he lifted her hips and knocked her legs so they opened further. She could see nothing of him but he could see all of her. His hand came to rest on her behind, thumb running over her womanhood. She was wet again from his touch and the new vulnerability.

He thrust into her suddenly and she bit the pillow to muffle her scream. He didn't like that. He needed to hear her. Roughly grabbing her hair, he yanked her head up and pulled completely from her again. She relaxed a moment and tried to turn to him in her confusion but he wouldn't let her. If she thought he was rough before, he was going to surprise her with his wolf side in control.

He slammed into her again and she screamed. He had his hand in her hair to keep her on her hands and knees, hips smacking against her arse until her cheeks bruised. Her mouth was stuck open as she let out moans and screams.

He felt his fangs drop so tugged her up onto her knees. One hand covered his in hair and the other grabbed his wrist as held her hip. He released her hair and instead lightly held her throat in place, sinking his fangs into her the soft skin of her neck.

His name was all he heard, a scream of surprise and pleasure, as she found herself having a more forceful release than before. A couple more thrusts and he was spilling inside her. His head thrown back with an animalistic growl and she dropped forward to her hands again.

She ached when he pulled out of her and she was too weak to stay up. Lying flat on her stomach, she felt the bed dip beside her as he lay down. His fingers trailed up from the top of her thigh along her curves. She was too tired to fight him off her. His bite was healing gradually and he was satisfied that it wasn't bleeding anymore.

He turned and blew the candle out before kicking the covers up their legs and pulling it over them. Gently, he turned her on her side and held her to his body. The smell of blood and sex lingered in the room. Her body relaxed against his as he drew patterns on her arm. He hate any ounce of affection, but he needed her to trust him with her more. Having her sleep in his arms was already an improvement, even if he had exhausted her to the point of delirium.

* * *

**AN: Told you there was a lot of smut. I hope it was okay. We'll see the consequences in the next chapter, along with more of the mystery enemies. Leave a reiew and tell me what you think. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

It was early in the morning when Klaus woke to find himself alone in the bed. Panic filled him for a moment but when he turned on to his back he saw Caroline stood in front of the mirror. She had yet to notice his waking but he realised she would not.

Her fingers traced over dark bruises in the shapes of his hands and fingers. They were shadows of his touches, markings of what was his. She was branded also by the bites on either side of her neck. Tilting her head, her waist long waves tumbled over her shoulder and she ran her fingers over the bite. Her eyes twitched at the pain.

Silently, he walked over to her but made sure she saw him in the mirror. He didn't want her screaming and having guards burst in when they're both naked. Her eyes shifted from her reflection to his as he came to a stop behind her.

He slid a hand from one hip to the other and pulled her against his chest. Inspecting her reflection made her visibly uncomfortable, especially when he lingered on the image of the bite mark.

She hissed in a breath, stiffening against him when his eyes glowed gold and black veins rippled underneath. She thought he would bite her again - _breakfast_ - but instead he brought his own wrist to his mouth. It was too close to her ear and she heard the flesh rip open from his fangs.

He offered his wrist to her and she met his eyes with her own confused ones as her lips wrapped around the wound. As she drank his blood, the pain in her body faded along with the bruises and bites. But she felt his arousal against her lower back and swallowed for an entirely different reason as she pulled away from his healing wrist.

Sensing her nervousness and knowing he would end up harming her further, he pressed a firm kiss to her hair then walked away. He left for the adjoining study and she threw up her arms when she realised he was painting... naked.

She turned and got back into bed, hoping sleep would get rid of the disappointment that he didn't want her and the confusion over her want for more blood.

Trying to ignore feelings for someone was a lot harder than he imagined. Especially when said person was his mate. Emotions were a weakness. _Love_ was a weakness. He was Niklaus Mikaelson. He had no weaknesses.

Except for the very naked human currently having a nightmare a few feet away from him. Small whimpers escaped her as she tossed and turned. The sheets had been cast away in fear. He could see her from the corner of his eye. Her writhing was not the kind he liked.

Giving up on the canvas - his once dark abstract painting had turned into a portrait of her, naked and peacefully sleeping - he stalked towards the bed. There were no threats in the room. It was just in her mind.

As he lay down beside her he pulled the covers over both of them. She turned towards him, seemingly for help, and reached out to grab his arm. Resting a hand on her cheek, he closed his eyes and entered her dream.

_He watched from the top of a tree as a young girl with familiar gold curls - shorter and messier - hid against a young boy's side. He was a few years older, the same messy gold curls atop his head. He was shushing her, rubbing her arms to keep her warm in the freezing night._

_It was then he noticed it was night and the children were in night clothes. Howls broke through the silence and the little girl whimpered. Klaus seemed to float down and hovered behind them. From their spot they could see the wolves chasing after a brown haired girl._

_"Vicki," the little girl cried out quietly. The boy quickly put his hand over her mouth and tried to hide her face in his shoulder. It was too late. They watched the wolves pounce on the girl, her scream only stopping when one of them bit into her throat. "Mattie," the blonde sobbed into his hand. "Caroline, shh," he pleaded as he brought his legs up onto the branch out of sight._

_Klaus stared over their shoulders and watched a man swing his sword at the wolves with only his battle cry as his companion. It took him a moment to recognise it as Caroline's father. A few more wolves came towards the noise but were cut off by guards protecting their king._

_"Where were they?" Caroline demanded. It was her voice _now_, not her voice as a child. "WHERE WERE YOU?" She screamed. The child version of her stood up in the tree and grew to her regular height. Matthew disappeared. The pair of them lowered to the ground right beside the massacre of wolves._

_There was a girl's body still mangled and ripped apart. "WHERE WERE YOU?" She screamed. It took him a moment to realise she was now screaming at him. "I know you were here. Where were you?" It was so broken and he wondered how she knew. _

She was in his head, too.

_"I was saving your mother," he answered blankly. The scene fell away and they were inside the castle. Inside a her mother's chambers. Her mother lay there with blood between her legs and a man stood over her cutting at wolves._

_"It's too late," the queen sobbed. "Just let me die." Bringing her legs up to her body, she began to rock herself. "You still have other children that need you." Caroline stumbled backwards, shaking her head at the familiar voice. "Then you save them," the queen spat out as she held onto her stomach._

_"I forgot. I forgot she was pregnant," Caroline breathed as she fell to her knees beside her mother. She was a ghost, a spectator in the memory. She could do nothing to help her mother. "I never knew what happened to you and Matthew," Klaus admitted as he leant against the wall and watched his past self kill his own kind to protect the mother of his mate._

_"Once your mother was safe, I left forever. I knew you would be moved within a few years for your safety and I could not follow you until it was time to collect you." Caroline sniffed and swiped at her tears. "Why didn't you tell me that you were here?" She choked out. "Because it was irrelevant. I could not save who I should have."_

_He walked out of the room and it fell away in only the way a dream can. It faded and broke apart until they were stood in their own chambers. "Who should you have saved?" She demanded in confusion. "You saved my mother. That was more than I could have expected."_

_The speed at which he came at her frightened her and she found herself against a wall. His fist slammed against the wall beside her head causing her to flinch away and squeeze her eyes shut. "I didn't save the children," he hissed out. _That_ was not what she expected. "It was all I wanted to do and two of them died. Yes, you and your mother lived but you had to live with the loss an unborn baby and your sister. I didn't even know you saw Victoria..."_

_He trailed off, unable to finish it. "But I had Matt," she whispered. He refused to raise his head, simply leaning forward so his forehead landed against her collar bone. "I had my mother and my father. I had my friends. I mourned my sister, yes. I'm haunted by her death, yes... but I had people when I needed them. I wasn't orphaned or left to survive on my own. You saved my mother, Klaus. Thank you."_

* * *

The dream ended there but Caroline stayed asleep. Klaus, however, shot out of the bed and grabbed his trousers. Fleeing out of the room, he ran until he was out in the garden. Thinking back over Caroline's words, his chest tightened and he was stunned. No one had ever sincerely thanked him, especially not after he had failed.

He had been haunted by the blood between the queen's legs for years and by the sounds of the wolves ripping apart the princess. He hadn't told her because he feared she would blame him for the loss of her siblings. But she had forgotten her mother was pregnant - though admittedly she was young and the queen was only just beginning to show. She hadn't known he failed until he tried to save her from her own mind.

That was why he needed to lose his feelings. Once he felt nothing, he would not be vulnerable.

* * *

Caroline watched Bonnie make more potion, amazed by the ease at which the young woman used her magic. Some days, days like that, Caroline regretted giving up her magic. But then she would see something else and remember the lives she saved; the children she gave a future filled with hope.

Davina's hand brushed her own but she thought nothing of it until the girl gasped horrified. Both Bonnie and Caroline turned to face her but the moment she met Caroline's blue eyes she fled to her chambers.

"Some visions are not meant to be known," Bonnie explained cryptically. "She looked terrified. What could make her look at me with such fear?" Caroline stressed, looking over to where Davina disappeared. "It may not be you. It may be a number of things. It may be something you see or hear or dream. It may be something you experience or do. It may be indirect. It could be the outcome of a choice you make far in the future. You are to be a vampire, Caroline. You have an eternity that she can envision."

Nodding slowly Caroline didn't say much more of it, though it did still worry her.

* * *

The sky was growing dark again with another day passed. It was quiet. Too quiet for Bonnie's liking. From the shadows a figure appeared behind her and stalked forward. A hand covered her mouth as an arm wrapped around her waist. Fear struck her for a moment until she heard the familiar laugh in her ear.

Using her elbows she shoved him off her and span around. "You fool, I could have killed you," she hissed as she punched his shoulder. "You could try, darling," Kol chuckled before taking her hand and leading her to the hidden door under the thickest covering of ivy in the wall.

Once in the hidden room, Bonnie lit the candles with a wave of her hand and smiled up at him. He loved her smile. Leaning down, his lips met her briefly. She couldn't help her smile as it grew but it made him laugh as he pulled away.

"We should be serious about this, Kol," Bonnie scolded as her smile lessened. "We could be found." Raising his shoulders in a shrug, he wrapped her up in his arms. "I have a feeling my siblings know but don't care," he admitted before adding, "Besides I'm the king's half brother. If anyone _but_ my siblings find us and question me then I'll kill them."

Tilting her head, she gave him an unimpressed look. "No killing," she frowned before pushing him away slightly. His hands unlocked around her back and came to rest on her hips as she played with the buttons of his jacket. With a heavy sigh, he grumbled, "Why must people conspire and ruin my time with you?"

A small smile flickered over her lips but then she looked back up into his eyes and it was lost again. "There has been contact from outside the castle. I found the letter before the other witches and resealed it but... Kol, someone has asked us to join a war against Klaus alongside someone they've brought back to kill all Originals forever."

"Who could they..." he trailed off when her mouth opened with no sound and her eyes began frightened yet sympathetic. "No. He was killed. I saw my brother kill him. His body burned. I _watched_ him die!"

Kol threw himself backwards across the room and span with force. His fist had s much power behind it that it smashed through the old stone wall and the ceiling crumbled around him slightly. Bonnie moved towards the door, knowing him well enough to receive hints on his mood. What she told him next could send him on a killing spree.

"You cannot tell anyone this," she announced, causing him to turn to her slowly. "Not yet. Davina had a vision." She paused as his shoulders slumped defeated. There was no avoiding Davina's visions. "He needs to make the first move to tell Klaus he is alive again. By then, I will know more and _we_ will already have a plan."

There was a stretch of silence before he asked, "What was the vision?" Bonnie's face fell and she looked away from his eyes. "I- I don't know. She won't tell me. All I know is that it follows what the Oracle predicted for Klaus and Caroline."

"You mean the an event causes my brother to leave when _he_ is out there?" Kol hissed. "My brother is supposed to leave when that monster is out there, close to his very human mate who is supposed to pregnant within the next few months? What could possibly make him leave?"

"Caroline," Bonnie simply answered before stepping forward. Stealing a quick kiss from his lips that eased him instantly, she turned away and snuck back to her chambers. Kol stood in the doorway, looking out into the dark forest. For miles all he could hear was forest life. No threats, not danger.

Not yet.

* * *

Looking down at his wife, his mate, his _Caroline_... He could not stop the onslaught of emotion. The wall had broken, such a small crack, when he first met her. Then over the last week he felt the wolf in him clawing against the wall he put up until it could stand no more.

Wolves were loyal and passionate. They felt with every fibre of their being. It was why they were so strong. But vampires felt nothing. They held it all back so that they had no weakness. It was why they were so strong.

To be both was to be constantly at war with one's self.

But the war had ended. He felt. It was agony. Whilst he felt no guilt or remorse for the lives he had taken and destroyed, he could not hold back on the pain he felt first hand. Mikael's words that always swam through his ind like sharks at home in the seas attacked at his very core.

_Useless. Undeserving. Coward. Bastard. Good for nothing. Waste of life. Beast. Monster. Bastard._

He could not escape his own mind. Then the beatings replayed in his head. He hadn't even realised he was asleep until they began to replay in his mind as if reliving them. Every kick, slap, shove, punch... it was all too vivid.

The agony of causing Henrik's death crashed over him and he felt himself drowning. He had been lying for centuries about Esther's death, too. He had ripped out her heart and blamed Mikael to keep his siblings by his side.

Then his failures assaulted him. Every memory that involved Mikael finding them or not being able to save someone that deserved it... Children. He hadn't saved any children from Mikael's wrath or the killing sprees he and his siblings had done.

How could he be a father knowing he was the cause of so many innocent children's deaths?

Caroline's dream was a harsh reminder of that. An unborn child and a young girl. He had failed to save them, too. He did not know how many children he had killed directly or indirectly. How many had he orphaned? How many had he broken? How many did he... feed from in a blood haze? He was no better than Mikael. He truly was a monster.

The wall could not go back up, not now. Six hundred years worth of repression snapped through him faster than lightning but the effects lingered like the remains of a storm. He felt washed up and ruined. He was Niklaus Mikaelson. He should move past this. He was a vampire...

No, he wasn't.

He was a hybrid. Hybrids were the in between of two species. Not a vampire. Not a werewolf. He was something else. He was... alone.

* * *

Caroline stirred awake from her dreamless sleep to find Klaus having a fit beside her. His skin was covered in sweat, his face contorted in pain. Panic swept through her and she quickly pulled on his discarded shirt to cover herself somewhat.

"Klaus," she called, shoving him hard. A gentle shake would feel like nothing whilst he was kicking out and shivering. "Klaus!" She shouted at him, punching his chest. "Klaus, wake up!" His eyes shot open and she gasped as he lunged at her.

Pinning her against the bed, he breathed heavily with a wild look in his eyes. They had been in this position once before, but back then she did not feel as much fear as she did then. Tears dropped from his cheeks on to hers.

"You," he hissed, leaning down on her. His hands encased her wrists and his legs rested either side of hers. The covers were wrapped around his waist still, tight around her so she couldn't move her lower body. "Klaus?" She questioned confused.

Never had she seen such a whirlwind of emotion in his eyes. She recognised his anger but in the stormy grey-blue of his eyes there was emotion she could not understand from the hybrid.

"You _broke_ me!" He roared down at her. "YOU DID THIS TO ME!" A small whimper escaped her as his hands tightened on her wrist. The bones cracked slightly and she winced at the sound. There was no way she could feel pain, not whilst she was that terrified.

"What do you mean?" She cried softly, feeling tears trailing down her cheeks into her ears. "You. You made me _feel_!" He was centimeters from her face, breath harshly hitting her lips as his eyes burned through her own. "Why is that a bad thing?" She breathed out in disbelief. "Because I am NOT WEAK!" He screamed in her face.

Before she could say much more, the door flew off the hinges and his siblings rushed in. The guards stood out of the way, looking in if needed. Kol and Elijah held Klaus back against the wall as Rebekah blurred over to the bed and collected Caroline.

Once the two girls were gone from the room, the brothers threw Klaus back on to the bed where he covered himself with the sheets that had fallen off him. He was shaking violently, avoiding all eye contact and pressing his lips together.

"You could have hurt her," Kol deadpanned. The coldness of the youngest Mikaelson had Klaus spinning around to look at him. Surely he had not been so terrible as to break his brother's spirit? "I would never," Klaus choked out. The words were weak. He did not know what he would do now. He was not stable.

Elijah threw a pair of trousers at him. "Why?" He asked coldly. There was no reason now to threaten or hurt her - not that there ever really was. She had married him, she was giving him a child... what reason did he have to lash out?

"Because I can _feel_ and it's HER FAULT!" He snapped after putting on his clothes. "If she hadn't have had a nightmare, I wouldn't have been reminded that I failed her! I wouldn't _feel_ if it weren't for her _existence!_" Elijah shook his head but it was Kol that spoke up. "You fool," he snarled, surprising both his older brothers.

"You have the freedom to love a woman, to be with her without the judgement of others. You have a woman that can give you children and a future and _hope_ but you're too much of a COWARD to realise it." There was a tense silence between them. No one _ever_ dared to call him a coward. Especially his siblings.

Stepping closer, Kol looked down at his big brother. "You disgust me," he hissed out between his teeth. Klaus' face remained impassive but the reaction was clear in his eyes. Hurt. Confusion. Defeat. Recognition. Knocking shoulders with Klaus as he stormed out, Kol remained silent as Elijah called after him.

Turning to Klaus, Elijah opened his mouth to atone for Kol's words but he was silenced by a raised hand. The eldest watched as Klaus moved slowly to the bed and got on top of it. He was blank. As if nothing had affected him. It had... Deeply so.

* * *

**AN: No, Klaus having some emotions back does not mean it will get fluffy. Quite the opposite, in fact. I hope you like the chapter. Please, feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think. :)**


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